To Tame a Summon Beast
by fascifemina
Summary: -MillisarxReiha- Reiha finds herself taking care of an injured but cranky and annoying Summon Beast.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary:**  
(MillisarxReiha) Reiha finds herself taking care of an injured but cranky and annoying Summon Beast.

**Disclaimer:** Summon Night is not mine! I just wanna mess around with its characters for a bit.

**Author's Notes:**

Hello, people! Honestly, I have no idea if this story is going to be read or what. This game isn't popular for some reason and I'm really disheartened to find no fans shipping MillisarXReiha. I like this couple a lot and this inspired me enough to write a story about those two. To those of you who will read this lil' story of mine, I hope you enjoy!

This is a "What if?" story in which Reiha volunteers to stay and look after Millisar while he's taking his sweet little time to wake up after being attacked by Ghardib. And yeah, this story's gonna be full of spoilers.

* * *

**To Tame a Summon Beast**  
by fascifemina

**Chapter One**

Reiha sighed heavily as she bent down towards the unconscious young man tucked comfortably inside her sleeping bag. The cover of her sleeping mat covered him from neck to toe. His pale hair and a few details of his face were the only things she could make out in the dark since he was hidden in the deepest corner of the cave where the shadows took up the rest of what could be seen.

Her green eyes had yet to adjust to the darkness, so she reached out her hands in front of her and felt for a good spot to sit and rest. The ground felt damp underneath her palms, and she leaned her back against the slightly ragged surface of one of the many stones and rocks that took up most of the space in the abandoned cave they were in. She winced slightly when a rather sharp edge poked her at her side.

She had been waiting for more than six hours already, and still Millisar hadn't shown any signs of waking up.

She bit her lip to supress the slowly growing worry that was clutching her chest and distracted herself by pointing her full attention towards the scenery outside. Dark orange hue and streaks of bluish purple painted the sky, casting a mellow glow over the distant horizon. It was already getting late and Reiha thanked the heavens that they had found this small cave somewhere in the forest to rest at for the night.

She wondered how the others were doing. Were they doing all right? How close were they in reaching Krestae ruins? Would she and Millisar be able to catch up with them on time?

"I hope Aldo's all right..." She murmured to herself as she pulled her knees to her chest, staring silently at the ground. Aldo... He was the one who had been so against of the idea of leaving her alone with Millisar. It wasn't that he feared that Millisar would do something to hurt her, he just didn't want to be away from her and not know if she was okay or not.

If the situation at hand wasn't this serious, she doubted that Aldo would even agree to be separated from her.

Personally, she'd prefer if Aldo would stay with her to look after Millisar, but she knew that the others needed him more than she needed him right now. Stopping the other Summon Beasts from destroying the world was their main priority and they were going to need all the help they could get. Aldo's powers as a Summon Beast contributed greatly to their success ever since their journey started. They would need those powers to deal with the dangers lying ahead.

Reiha closed her eyes, remembering her foster brother's pained expression as he left with the others. He was not the only one who was having a hard time at their sudden separation for she, too, was suffering from the loss of Aldo's presence beside her. Now, however, all she could do was to trust in Aldo and pray that he, along with everyone else, would be safe from harm.

Darkness crept inside the cave and a cool breeze swept past Reiha, making her shiver slightly. "I guess I'll start building the fire." She glanced at the still sleeping Summon Beast, not really expecting him to reply but was just needing someone to talk to at the moment. "You wait here, okay? I'll go look for some firewood."

Reiha stood up with a groan, stretching her arms and legs and dusting off the dirt from her clothes. She grabbed her staff lying next to her backpack and headed off into the woods. What greeted her outside was a blast of cool wind and she shivered even more as it engulfed her in a chilling embrace. Her thin clothes did nothing to protect her from the cold as she hunted for branches and twigs for firewood. Her only small comfort was her long hair as this somehow helped warm her neck and shoulders.

She could tell just how agitated the Spirits were getting judging from how her energy was slowly being drained from the hostile weather. Worry gathered at the pit of her stomach and she couldn't help but think of the others again.

Aldo and Ayn must have been feeling really sick right now... She hated the feeling of not being there to help her friends...

She didn't know how long she stayed outside gathering firewood, but by the time she got back to their cave, the moon had already risen to the skies, blanketing the entire forest with its ethereal light, her surroundings settling into a peaceful silence. She checked her companion for any signs of movement, but he still continued to lay there without a care in the world. With a heavy sigh, Reiha dropped the firewood she was holding in both her arms and started working on building the firepit.

Now what was it that made her choose to stay with Millisar? After all, she couldn't stand the presence of the pale-haired Summon Beast. They didn't exactly get along when they first met. Even after their next confrontations, the guy didn't make it easier for her to like him. He was a really rude brat, accusing her of things he knew nothing about.

After Reiha finished building the firepit, she stood up and readied her staff. "Spirits, lend me you powers..." She concentrated on the power that suddenly surged through her as she continued her mantra of calling the fire spirits for help. With a swirl of energy, a ball of fire shot out of her staff and hit the firepit, instantly covering it with flames and lighting the whole cave in the process.

Her thoughts returned to her silent companion. With an unladylike snort, Reiha threw a glare at Millisar's direction, not caring that he was still sleeping at the corner. She disliked him as much as he disliked her, and if it weren't for the fact that he had saved her from Ghardib's attack a while ago, she would probably think twice about helping him, which was already very uncharacteristic of her since she had always been a very caring and thoughtful person.

However, as it was, she was responsible for his current predicament.

Now that she had brought that thought up, why** did** Millisar suddenly rush out like that to protect her? She remembered in clear detail how he had detested the idea of being friends with her and the others since he had thought they were his enemies... She remembered his rude words to her when she had asked him to say thank you to everyone for saving his life. She **only** wanted a simple thank you... It wasn't as if she was asking him to bow down and worship them for it!

It was then that a stray thought hit her. They had saved his life before...

Could it be that that was the reason he went out of his way just to protect her? She didn't think that Millisar was the type of person to like having debts to anyone... And now that he had saved her, he didn't owe them anything anymore...

"Well now, if that's really the case..." Reiha mumbled to herself as she took a seat beside her sleeping companion, watching the way his shadows danced in rhythm with the flames. "...I shouldn't be feeling responsible for you anymore. We're even." She narrowed her green eyes at him before turning her attention towards the fire, knowing that she was lying to herself and was still feeling a great deal responsible for his condition. Her hands reached out to pull her knees to her chest and she leaned her chin on top of her crossed arms.

The comforting warmth of the flames and the soft crackle of burning wood was slowly lulling Reiha to sleep that she couldn't find it in her to fight back against the heaviness of her eyes. It wasn't too long before she succumbed to the darkness and it enveloped her in a dreamless sleep throughout the rest of the night.

* * *

For once in the entire time he'd been living in this sad, miserable world, Millisar didn't wake up because of some human bastard painfully draining the strength out of every bone in his body. Instead, he woke up and found himself staring at the damp and rocky inner walls of some sort of cave, which was illuminated by the sun's rays that was coming from outside.

_Where am I...?_ His eyes narrowed in confusion when he realized that he was surrounded by something warm and soft and he looked down to see that he was lying on a sleeping mat. His gaze fell to his side and he found his weapon lying on the ground at arm's length from him. The musty smell of smoke from burning wood invaded his sensitive nose, but he couldn't help but relax as the mat he was lying on was mixed with a sweet and pleasing scent that immediately calmed his nerves.

He heaved a sigh as he closed his eyes and reveled at the nice sensation. It was a scent that reminded him of the home he was forcefully separated with... The home that he had almost lost hope in returning to after years of being stuck in a foreign land and exposed to pain and suffering at the hands of unmerciful humans... The home that not only he, but also the other Summon Beasts, would give anything just to return back there once again.

Home... That was the main reason why both him and Miss Phicra were fighting so desperately against anything that came in their way.

At that moment, memories from yesterday flooded his mind, causing his eyes to snap open and he sat up with a sudden jolt. "Miss Phicra!" He cried out loud in utmost worry. **Ghardib!** How could he forget about that no-good, traitorous bastard!? He murdered all the Summon Beasts at the 16th Catheirn and he was plotting to harm Miss Phicra if she stood in his way!

With renewed strength, he grabbed the cover of the sleeping mat and yanked it from his body. He turned to stand up, but his badly strained body and the sudden wave of pain from his ribs kept him from being steady. With a grunt, he fell to the ground in all fours, his face sweaty and his lungs gasping for air.

It was then that his red eyes caught something directly in front of him. He found his gaze locked with a set of green eyes, eyes that were staring at his with the same confusion and curiosity.

"M-Millisar..." She murmured so quietly that if it weren't for his highly developed ears, he wouldn't be able to hear nor understand her. "You're finally awake..."

Narrowing his eyes even further, Millisar bit back a snarl that suddenly surged in his chest upon seeing the human girl before him. She was lying on her back a minute ago and was now scrambling to sit up and edge away from him, her expression wary. He then noted that she was making eager glances at her staff which was lying a few meters away from her reach.

Millisar frowned, noticing how extremely defenseless she was at that moment. He didn't think she'd survive a minute at the outside world without her friends. With a snort, he decided to ignore his irritation with the pathetic-looking girl and deal with more pressing matters instead. "Where are we? And what am I doing here?" He demanded and forced himself to stand again, gritting his teeth at the jolt of pain at the effort.

He watched as the emotions played on her face turned from wary to concern. Why should she be worried about him?

"You shouldn't be forcing yourself like that. Your body's still weak from Ghardib's attack..." Much to his surprise, she stood up and reached out for him. His eyes widened in alarm and he stood still, suddenly angry at the thought of a human in close proximity. He edged away and his hand instantly turned to grab his cape, needing to feel safe, but he stopped cold when realization hit him that he was no longer wearing it.

Panic churned wildly in his chest and he directed an instense glare at the human girl, causing her to squeak. "Where's my cape? What happened to my cape!?" His anger getting the better of him, his hand shot out and grabbed the girl's wrists in a tight hold. It was the girl's pained yelp that brought him back to his senses and caused him to loosen his hold on her, allowing her to slap his hands away.

"What's wrong with you!?" The orange-haired girl cried out furiously, her hands rubbing her wrists in an attempt to soothe the pain. Millisar was oblivious to her discomfort and didn't feel the least bit intimidated by the girl's anger for he himself was angry. "Your cape's gone, okay? It got all torn up when Ghardib attacked you."

His dark mood was drained away and replaced by sadness at her answer. That cape was given to him by Miss Phicra! Why that Ghardib... He'd **never** forgive him!

"I think that cape even saved you..." The girl paused, as if contemplating something. "If it weren't for it, you would have suffered an even more serious injury."

The cape saved him? Millisar felt even more worse than what he was already feeling. His worry for Miss Phicra grew each passing second. He **had** to tell her about that bastard Ghardib! He **had** to protect her! With a determined look on his face, he turned to pick up his dao and dragged himself forward, not caring about the look that his companion gave him as he passed her by.

It was when he was at the mouth of the cave when she heard her shout. "What are you doing!? You just woke up from a nasty injury!"

Feeling annoyed once more, he kept on going and didn't bother to look back. "Leave me alone. You're my enemy." Unfortunately, he didn't manage to get that far because his legs eventually gave in. His weapon fell to the ground with a loud thump, and it was a good thing that he was able to hold out his arms to stop his fall or else he would have fallen down face-first to the ground.

His anger flared again and he cursed his currently weak body. Just when Miss Phicra needed him most...! **He had to get up! He had to help her!**

Something shifted beside him and he turned his head slowly to face its cause. A few seconds later, he found himself staring at two muddy boots and dirty white stockings. He looked up to see the girl towering over him, her face wearing a look of seriousness. She kneeled down, her gaze not breaking off of his. "You are really stubborn. I told you not to strain yourself."

"Why are you even helping me?" He bit out and directed his eyes somewhere else. He didn't want to be associated with any human, much less her, a girl who had a Summon Beast following her every whim! "Go away! Miss Phicra's in trouble. I have no time to deal with the likes of you."

Having the persistent need to prove his point, he forced himself to stand up again. He felt dizzy in the head for forcing his body to its limits, but he just didn't care. He wanted to get away from this place and the girl as soon as possible. It wouldn't be long before Ghardib reaches Miss Phicra and who knows what he'd do to her behind her back!

He was already on his knees and he just needed a little more push to be able to stand, but all of a sudden, something struck his side and his back met the hard ground as he fell down, wincing in pain. He inhaled sharply, directing the girl who had slapped his side with a murderous glare. "Why did you that for!?"

The girl's cheeks grew red. "Oh, sorry! I think I slapped you too hard..." She fumbled and then tried to compose herself. "A-Anyway! See? You're not in any condition to fight! Let alone walk! Why don't you just listen for once and let me help you?" She was looking at him with fire in her eyes and Millisar didn't think she'd back down no matter what he'd say to her.

What the **heck** was her problem? He couldn't think for the life of him as to why she'd help him... She should just leave him alone!

He was about to demand again why she wanted so badly to help him out when she abruptly cut him off. "I'm helping you not because I want to, all right? I'm just returning the favor because if it weren't for you,** I** would have been the injured one, not you."

For a moment there, Millisar was still, wondering what she was talking about. Eventually, he remembered the whole reason why he was badly hurt in the first place.

He had saved her.

Now that he had thought back at that moment, it was **him** who had desperately jumped between Ghardib and the girl, causing him to get the full force of Ghardib's attack.

Now why would he do something like that...?

He saw her stand up and pick up his dao before she turned to reach for his arms. Millisar wanted to fight back but realized that he didn't have the energy left to push her away. Without a fuss, he took his sword from her when she handed it over to him. He then let her slung his arm over her shoulder while her other arm wound around his back. With a loud grunt, she forced themselves to stand.

"You're such a brat... I know that you only saved me because we saved your life once. Nevermind that I'm helping you again because even though we're even, I still can't help but feel responsible for you. I swear I won't bother you anymore once you're well enough to stand on your own." She muttered. If things were different, he would have been amused at the faces she was making as she tried all her might to support his weight. "You're really heavy, you know that?" She groaned as they made their way back inside the cave.

"Shut up." He snapped back, albeit gently this time. His mind was getting too tired and he didn't feel like arguing with her at that moment. Strands of orange hair wafted under his nose and he scowled as he turned his head away, irritated at himself.

_That scent..._ He thought grimly. _...it was her._

He'd have to pound it in his head not to revel in that scent anymore.

* * *

**Authors Notes:**

So...? What do you guys think? Should I continue this or not? Although, I probably still will even if you don't want me to. Hehe! I'm rather enjoying myself writing about those two, so... yeah. Of course, reviews are very much appreciated. I certainly do hope I find and make friends with people who support this pairing as much as I do!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary:**  
(MillisarxReiha) Reiha finds herself taking care of an injured but cranky and annoying Summon Beast.

**Disclaimer:** Summon Night is not mine! I just wanna mess around with its characters for a bit.

**Author's Notes:**

Hello, everyone! I'm quite surprised that some people actually took the time to check this story out. Based on the statistics I got, there were roughly 30 visitors, even though only two reviewed. I would like to say special thanks to Milonar and witch-of-immolation for the reviews. I'm really happy that I met fellow Millisar/Reiha shippers! Woohoo! I hope you'd continue reading this lil story of mine! I guess I shouldn't be slacking off and write more chapters then, huh?

Anyway, before I forget, in this story, I'd be stretching the time of the game to a more believable one. I mean, I just can't have Reiha and the others arrive from one place to another in just one day, considering that they're traveling in such a huge continent.

So yeah, more night talks and more character development, particulary Millisar and Reiha. Hehe! Don't mind me... I'm just bitter that the game didn't give Millisar a chance to have more one-on-one conversations with Reiha...

Anyway, on with the story!

* * *

**To Tame a Summon Beast**  
by fascifemina

**Chapter Two**

The morning turned out better than Reiha had expected. The sun was shining with no dark clouds in sight and the forest was alive with lots of animals scurrying about. The cheerful atmosphere almost reminded her a little of Marbado. If she ignored the fact that, at the moment, the world was being threatened and her friends were risking their lives to save their future, she could say that everything was going remotely perfect.

Now if only Millisar would just stop glaring at her with those creepy red eyes of his... That would have helped make the morning as **perfect** as she was pretending it to be.

The sulking summon beast was sitting at the deepest corner of the cave, a place where he was farthest from her. He hadn't said a single word ever since she had helped him return to the cave that early morning. Instead of conversing with her like any **normal** person, he had contented himself by being suspicious with her.

Reiha shook her head in exasperation, confused as to why he was acting that way. It was obvious that he was the type of person who didn't give away his trust to others so easily… But it wasn't as if she was trying to hurt or kill him or anything! She was **helping** him get better.

The least he could do was to act **polite** and stop glaring at her which, Reiha assumed, he was more than willing to do for the rest of the day.

She sighed heavily and settled on focusing on what she was doing instead. She was kneeling down next to the fire, her hand mechanically stirring the soup inside the pot and watching solemnly as a few bubbles formed because of the heat.

She had always been the one in charge of cooking for the whole group. That made her wonder as to who would be cooking for the others now that she was temporarily separated from them.

Were they even awake already? Aldo probably wasn't yet since he had always been a heavy sleeper and was always the last one to wake up in the group. Nassau would probably be busy hunting for food which, Reiha thought with a giggle, he would gloat to them afterwards. Maybe either Lila or Mr. Mardin would be the one to cook. Ayn and Ticah would be busy taking out and preparing all the things they'd need as they waited for breakfast to be ready.

A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she pictured her friends and family in her mind. After this mess was over, she wondered if they would still get a chance to hang around with each other again... or would they go back to their separate ways? They had already formed strong bonds in a few weeks' time... Those bonds were important to her and she would like to strengthen them even more if she was given the chance.

With another heavy sigh, Reiha reached out for a bowl in her bag and poured some of the soup in it, grabbing her extra chopsticks as well afterwards. Gathering her courage, she turned to look at Millisar and wasn't surprised at the dark look that crossed over his expression as he continued to stare at her, his gaze switching back and forth to her face and the breakfast she held in her hands.

Judging from the way he was scowling at her, his answer to her silent offer was clear as daylight. But she would have none of that. He had to eat if he wanted to speed up his recovery. The faster he got better, the faster she'd be able to meet up again with Aldo and the others.

"I don't want to eat." He blurted out the obvious, his face becoming impassive. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked away to the forest.

She blinked. Well, at least he wasn't glaring at her anymore.

Taking this as a good sign, Reiha stood up and approached the silent Summon Beast until she was standing right in front of him. She almost faltered when his creepy eyes glared right back at her again. "You need to eat if you want to get better." She tried to sound as gentle as possible, hoping against hope that she could get into that thick skull of his with sugar-coated words.

Besides, she didn't think he'd appreciate it if she demanded him to eat, even though she was very tempted to do so.

He didn't respond.

Her eye twitched involuntarily. "I promise you. It tastes better than it looks."

"Go away. I don't want to eat your disgusting food."

A vision of herself dumping the contents of the soup on top of his head flashed before her eyes.

Trying not to get mad at him for being such a jerk, Reiha tried persuading him again. "You haven't eaten anything since last night." She paused, trying her best to sound and look as sincere as she could get. "It'll do your body good if you eat. Just try it. It'll make you feel better!" She forced a smile and held out the bowl in front of his face.

Silence crawled between them as if someone had just muted all the other sounds except the rapid drumming of her heart. Reiha was growing uncomfortable at the awkwardness of the situation. Millisar, on the other hand, busied himself by warily eyeing her and her perfectly rehearsed smile for a few painful seconds.

Slowly, his hands uncrossed themselves over his chest and reached out for the bowl and chopsticks.

Reiha let out a breath she didn't know she was holding, feeling a surge of relief at that thought that he was now willing to cooperate with her. Coaxing him proved to be the best way to handle the stubborn summon beast, after all!

Then the unexpected happened.

Everything seemed to go in slow motion as Reiha's eyes widened in shock when Millisar tilted his hands and carelessly threw the contents of the bowl to the side, causing the soup to splash to the ground.

In just a split second, the breakfast she had worked hard to prepare an hour ago was now staring at her in a complete and muddy mess.

Silence.

Reiha could feel veins popping on her forehead.

"You jerk! Don't you have any manners? At **all**?" She nearly shrieked in her anger and felt somewhat satisfied when he squinted in pain at the shrillness of her voice. Blood was pumping wildly against her chest and she was having a difficult time suppressing the urge to strangle him with her bare hands.

"Stop being so loud!" He snapped, his hands moving to cover his ears. "You wouldn't stop pestering me even though I've already said I don't want to eat!"

"But you didn't have to be so rude about it!" Reiha stomped her feet angrily.

He was glaring at her with hostile eyes and she would have backed down at the intensity of his glare if it weren't for her own fury. With a huff, she yanked the now empty bowl in his hands, her fingers touching the rim of the bowl and feeling some traces of her **darn **soup which was there just a few seconds ago.

She swore that if her Banna cake had been the one he had thrown and violated, she'd take pleasure on burning him into a crisp. Then she'd freeze him. Then she'd burn him again. Then maybe she'd let the ground swallow him up. Or she'd smite him with lightning bolts and have that pale hair of his stand on end!

She was **that** angry. And no, it wasn't just because of the soup. It was** more** than the soup!

She hadn't been able to get a good night's sleep last night because **someone** had been taking his sweet little time to wake up and was hogging her sleeping mat, leaving her to sleep in the hard, cold ground. Not only that, she was worried sick about Aldo and her friends to the point that she wanted to scream her lungs out!

She just didn't have the time or the patience to deal with his rude behavior right now!

"I don't care what you think. I can act however I want. I don't need a girl telling me what to do." His tone was low, clearly telling her that his patience with her was also reaching its limit.

She still wasn't planning on backing down, though! She had dealt with stronger and meaner monsters before, so why would she let a skinny-looking guy about her age scare her? Never mind that he was a summon beast!

"You're acting like a brat! I'm only trying to help you and this is the thanks I get?" She had been trying her hardest to keep a happy and calm facade despite her mounting frustrations... and yet this... this **jerk** just wouldn't let her!

"I never said that I needed your help."

She frowned. "I know that! But couldn't you at least act **decent** in front of me?"

"..." He wasn't looking at her anymore, his expression bored.

"I can't believe you!" She swore she had never been this exasperated with anyone like this before! She had never met a single soul who was as annoying as him! "Why can't you just... act like your age for once?"

He slowly stood up and she couldn't help but wince at the difference in their heights. **He **was the one who was towering over her now. "Like I'd take advice from someone like you." He paused, a snide smirk on his lips. "**Twerp**."

_Okay, that's it! _Angry, tired, and fed up, Reiha directed him one of her most spine-chilling glares before she turned her back to him and stomped away. She was leaving! To heck with taking care of that annoying, ungrateful jerk!

Grumbling incoherent words about infuriating summon beasts under her breath, Reiha rushed to pack her belongings, not even bothering to spare him a single glance.

What was she thinking? Taking care of him was a stupid decision. From the way he was acting, she didn't even feel guilty about his predicament anymore! Well, maybe still just a little, but he didn't need to know that!

Directing her thoughts to other matters, she began to wonder about her friends and family. Maybe if she hurried up, she'd be able to catch up with the others at the desert her uncle Mardin had told her about.

She was about to pack up the pot she had left by the fire when his voice rose up from the silence. "Leaving, huh?"

She tensed, her lips pursing into a grim line. "What does it look like to you?"

He was silent for a few seconds and Reiha almost thought that he would finally leave her be when he suddenly spoke again. "Good. Just don't come back crying to me if you couldn't handle the monsters out there."

That made her stop as still as a stone, her eyes narrowing at what he was suggesting. "Are you implying that I can't take care of myself?"

"Oh." He raised an eyebrow, eyes mocking "You mean you can?"

Now all Reiha wanted to do was to whack him repeatedly on the head with her staff until those weird, metallic ears of his crack up and shatter into little pieces. She'd even go as far as pull on those strange wire-like **thingies** stuck on his hair.

That would probably and hopefully set him straight!

"Do you want me to show you?" She grabbed her staff and positioned herself in a fighting stance. He thought she was **weak**, huh? She'd gladly have him experience her wrath personally!

His gaze bore into hers, his expression showing mild curiosity and amusement. Reiha realized that she didn't like it whenever he was looking at her. "**If** you can show me something that's actually worth looking at, that is." He replied in a matter-of-fact tone.

_What!?_ "You...!" She gritted her teeth, wanting to cast a spell on him now more than ever. "You're just afraid you'd get beaten by a girl! You coward!"

"Heh." Millisar shook his head, still wearing a smirk on his face. "And you call **me** a brat. You're the one who's acting like one now."

Reiha would have yelled at him even more at that particular comment, but a small gurgling sound stopped her in mid-sentence. She blinked, surprise evident in her face. She glanced at Millisar, who also looked as surprised as she was.

What in the world was that sound?

And then something gurgled again, or more like growled this time around. She stared at the summon beast in front of her, who was now muttering curses under his breath. His pale face was tinged with a rosy hue and his eyes were darting everywhere but her.

Reiha's eyes narrowed at the way his hand reached up to clutch his stomach.

Then, it clicked.

Reiha couldn't help the sly smile that crawled to her lips.

Without saying another word, the bright-haired girl walked towards the fire pit and kneeled down. She didn't bother packing up the pot that still had her soup in it. Instead, she pulled out her bowl and chopsticks from her bag and served herself with some of her soup. She savored the delicious aroma and let out a contented sigh before sipping noisily from her bowl.

With her taste buds tingling in delight at the tasty soup, she turned her green eyes towards Millisar and beamed. "Ooh... That's some** good **soup!"

She almost laughed at the murderous glare that he was directing at her.

"What?" She asked him innocently, sipping again from her soup before plucking a piece of meat with her chopsticks. She made it a point to have Millisar see her pop the meat into her mouth. "You want some?" She asked.

She snickered inwardly when he saw him swallow hard. "As if you're gonna give me any." He grunted, turning away from her again.

Reiha smiled widely, her face thoughtful and caring. "Of course I am!" She gestured for him to come over, much to Millisar's surprise. After a few seconds of abusing himself with colorful words, he finally stood up and was about to walk over to her when she stopped him with a raised hand.

He looked at her in confusion.

"Your breakfast is over there." She pointed a finger at the mess that was still splattered on the ground. "Eat it up before it gets too cold. Enjoy your food!"

_Ah, revenge is so sweet._

Her efforts were rewarded with a snarl and she would have laughed out loud at his extremely pissed-off reaction if it weren't for the fact that he had grabbed his dao and was now marching towards her, a determined look on his face.

Her eyes widened in alarm and her hand immediately dropped the bowl she was holding in order to snatch the staff at her side. Much to her surprise and confusion, however, he only glowered at her before heading off to the cave's exit.

She couldn't stop herself from asking. "Where are you going?"

"That's none of your business." He retorted, still not stopping. And he would have kept on going if it weren't for the growl that suddenly thundered across the forest and made Reiha's heart want to leap to her throat.

The ground trembled. And then everything was silent again.

Eerily silent.

"What… was that?" Reiha was up on her feet, her hands clutching the handle of her staff so hard that her fingers were going numb. She edged closer to Millisar, who had his weapon drawn out, his eyes scanning any signs of movement from the towering trees that surrounded the cave.

"Be quiet." He hissed, motioning for her to stay where she was. He moved forward, slowly and cautiously until he was at the mouth of the cave. "Stay alert and be on your guard."

Reiha gulped nervously, trying her best to calm down and get a grip. What was wrong with her? She was tougher than this! Raising her staff and chanting a spell under her breath, she let out a spell that shot out and enveloped Millisar, who was caught off-guard at the light that suddenly surged all around him.

"What was that for?" He hissed and glared at her direction, his concentration broken.

"Don't worry! I placed a protective spell on—" Her voice died in her throat when she noticed that the cave had suddenly grown dark. Her ears caught loud and scraping noises from above that came outside the cave.

Something moved behind Millisar. And as soon as she laid eyes upon it, the hair at the back of her neck stood stiff.

Millisar had noticed her change of expression and turned around to meet eight bulging eyes staring right back at him with dangerous intent. Its two sharp, protruding fangs were dripping with saliva that created pools of sticky liquid that slipped underneath his boots. He looked up and saw its claws scraping against the rocky edge of the cave. And from the looks of things, the creature came from above the cave and was hanging upside-down to take a peek at the two of them.

Reiha could only watch in horror as the King Roly opened its huge mouth, revealing rows of incredibly sharp teeth, and clamped over Millisar's sword.

* * *

**Authors Notes:**

Sorry for the cliffhanger... I promise I'd get the next chapter up as soon as possible! And you know what? I just realized that the anonymous review was disabled... Stupid me. Well, I enabled it now so you guys can go ahead and review if you like.

**Replies:**

**Milonar:** I don't believe in love at first sight. So I hope you're not expecting Millisar and Reiha to get all lovey dovey anytime soon. There will be fluffy moments but nothing like the two of them secretly harboring feelings for one another or declaring their love for each other because that's just uncalled-for and completely irrational. But I have to say... I was squealing in glee at Reiha and Millisar's last night talk together in the game. And don't get me started with their ending! Haha! Thanks again for reading and reviewing!

**witch-of-immolation:** I know what you mean... there's absolutely NOTHING about this pairing in the internet. I even tried looking for fanarts at devArt and I was so disappointed when I only saw one... This pairing needs more love, darn it!! Anyway, thanks for reading and reviewing!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary:**  
(MillisarxReiha) Reiha finds herself taking care of an injured but cranky and annoying Summon Beast.

**Disclaimer:** Summon Night is not mine! I just wanna mess around with its characters for a bit.

**Author's Notes:**

Oh my goodness, I'm alive! Yes, I'm alive! I am so very sorry I haven't updated for so long! I hope people are still reading this fic.... But anyway, I'll explain myself later. On with the story!

* * *

**To Tame a Summon Beast**  
by fascifemina

**Chapter Three**

Millisar was pissed.

Apparently, having an enemy take care of him and having himself humiliated in front of said enemy because of his damnable stomach just weren't enough humiliation for him to suffer for that day. He still had to endure the stupidity of a gigantic bug, which was busy munching on his dao as if it actually **looked **edible enough to eat!

_We're both hungry, pal. _He thought with a scowl as he held a firm grip of his weapon in both his hands._ But you should have taken a bite of that girl over there instead of messing with me._

And with that, Millisar forced the blade against the monster's mouth, tearing apart its hardened skin as he left a deep and wide gash across the side of its face. The King Roly let out a deafening cry of pain that reverberated across the forest, causing him to wince because of his sensitive hearing.

_Heh._ Millisar smirked as he watched the huge insect slumped down to the ground, its blood dripping and spraying all over the grass as it writhed in agony, its eight bulging eyes tinged with red. _It didn't taste so good now, does it? _The monster seemed to be glaring at him as if it wanted to eat him instead.

He snorted, matching the beast's glare with his own. It was challenging him to a fight and he was more than willing to accept it.

After all, at that moment, he wanted to release his frustrations with a certain orange-haired summoner and her good for nothing soup.

Beating the King Roly into a bloody pulp would lessen his irritation at the very least.

All of a sudden, power engulfed his body in a flash of orange lights, causing his back to stiffen in surprise. He whirled around to send a glare at Reiha, who was taken aback at the annoyed expression on his face.

"Will you cut that out?" He barked at her as the effects of the spell she casted on him rushed through his veins, giving him a boost of energy.

He tried not to think of how his tired body reacted positively at her support.

"I was only trying to help you!" She was scowling at him, obviously not appreciating the way he was snapping at her for assisting him.

"Well, I don't need it." He knew very well that he was being downright rude and ungrateful, but he didn't want any help from an enemy… or any human for that matter. He could defeat that bug on his own. "Just stay where you are and don't stand in my way."

"What!?" He heard her cry out in outrage as he turned around to face the King Roly again, ignoring her streams of protest. The bug was now squirming towards them and Millisar immediately stepped out of the cave, speeding off into the forest to a much wider clearing.

"Wait! Millisar!"

_Geez... _The Summon Beast snorted. _Couldn't that girl mind her own business for once...?_ He forced back his irritation with the human girl, however, when the monster roared and followed suit, leaving a trail of blood in its wake.

The bug was surprisingly tougher than he thought as it was able to hold off half of his attacks despite the gaping wound on its mouth. Its movements were slow, but it made up for it with its defense and stamina. He cursed out loud when it still persisted on biting off his head even after he casted his Dark Fire spell. Even though the King Roly's body was surrounded with raging black flames, it still continued to attack him fervently as if the flames were nothing.

"Damn it!" He dived to the ground as he barely avoided one of its attacks that would have torn his whole arm from his shoulder. As soon as he was on his feet again, he counterattacked by swinging his dao in a wide arc and the insect howled in pain as his sword was able to cut off a few of its legs.

Much to Millisar's exasperation, it only angered the beast even more and it didn't show any signs of stopping itself from eating him alive.

A sudden shout from behind him caught him off-guard and he was startled when the flames engulfing the King Roly became even more powerful, the flames changing from black into a reddish hue. The huge insect growled and its cries of pain thundered inside the forest as it lumbered around wildly, attacking and destroying everything that came into its path.

Millisar turned back his attention to the girl a few meters away from the battlefield and saw her surrounded by flickering lights. She was calling the fire spirits for help and he was surpised at her abilities to summon such powerful spirits.

Instead of being impressed, this only added to his mounting annoyance with the human girl. This was **his** battle! Who the hell said that she could butt in?

With a curse, he closed his eyes to gather more of the dark spirits around him. He stopped when he realized with extreme irritation that he didn't have enough energy to cast his more powerful spells. Now what was he going to do?

Looking at the enemy now, the torrents of flames managed to do a heavy blow on its stamina, but it still looked alive and capable enough of doing some nasty damage. Millisar wasn't physically fit to keep up with its attacks and things would get pretty ugly if he didn't finish this sooner…

With a snarl of his own, he held out his hand and summoned what was left of his energy to cast another bout of his Dark Fire spell. The towering flames engulfed the King Roly and finally caused it to stagger in its movements. Seeing the opportunity to strike, he gripped his sword tighter in both hands and lunged himself to the air, his weapon raised over his head as he aimed to impale the bug's head with his dao.

He was midway into plunging the tip of his sword directly between the bug's rows of bulging eyes when a feeling of dread ran straight along his spine. The bug seemed to know what he was planning to do as it twisted its body into a huge ball.

Millisar's eyes widened in shock.

Everything became a blur after that. All Millisar could remember was losing his hold on his dao as something huge and hard slammed against him with such force that he felt as if his body was being ripped apart. He soared through the air until he was smacked straight against the trunk of the tree. Pain surged through his veins like wildfire that he was so sure one of his ribs had cracked.

He couldn't think straight. His vision was going blurry and he was having difficulty breathing. His whole body was aching like hell and if he didn't have such high tolerance for pain thanks to the miserable life he once had as one of the guinea pigs in the human laboratories, he would have passed out right then and there.

Phicra's motherly face and Ghardib's traitorous sneer flashed before his eyes. He stubbornly fought the urge to lose consciousness, knowing his life depended on it.

There was no way in hell that he was going to die here. No hell way...

He didn't know how long he was sprawled on the ground trying to steady his still muddled brain and willing his eyes to focus, but when his vision was suddenly blocked by something dark and ominous, he knew that he was in serious trouble. His red eyes finally decided to work with him and he found himself staring at rows of sharp teeth which were only a few inches away from tearing off his nose.

He didn't have time to gag at the disgusting smell of the King Roly's mouth as his instincts automatically forced his body to roll a few meters away from danger, causing him to cry out at the exploding pain on his side because of the effort.

Willing to suppress the havoc wreaking inside his body, his eyes scanned the surroundings for his sword and he cursed out loud when he realized that his dao was way out of his reach. He directed his attention back at the beast again, intending to read its movements before planning to make a move for his weapon.

Millisar cringed at the thought that it was planning to do its rolling attack against him again. He hurriedly forced himself to stand up using the trunk of a nearby tree for support, not averting his eyes from the beast as he did so. He continued to watch the King Roly as it glared and roared furiously at him.

...and it continued to glare and roar at him without actually making any move to attack him.

_Huh?_

The summon beast then noticed that something brown was crawling along the King Roly's body. He turned his eyes to the insect's legs and was surprised to find out that all of its legs were tangled by thick roots that were suddenly bursting from the earth in every passing second. Vines from the trees around the clearing surged forth and entangled themselves around the King Roly's body and the grip they had on the beast tightened even more the harder the insect struggled.

He recognized the spell. It was somewhat a weaker version of his Dark Vine spell as the spell only intends to immobilize the target. His spell, on the otherhand, tore through the skin like acid since the vines borrowed the powers of the dark spirits.

Reiha was able to summon quite a lot of roots and vines though... and that was a feat for a human girl like her.

"Millisar! Get out of there now! I can only hold him off for a little while!" Her shout brought him back to his senses and, without a second thought, he immediately limped as fast as his legs could carry him towards his dao. He tried to ignore the way his hands shook when he reached for the weapon, his grip around it tightening almost instantly.

"Damn it..." Millisar gritted his teeth angrily. This had gone too far! That insect would certainly die in his hands and he would take utmost pleasure in ripping and slashing its insides again and again even if that was the last thing he'd do...

He was about to go back to the King Roly to get his revenge and deliver the final blow when the summoner stopped him in his tracks. "Stop it, Millisar! I'll handle this!"

He felt a prickle of annoyance at the confident tone in her voice and he couldn't help but direct her a cool glare. What were those words for? Was she trying to tell him that he **couldn't** kill that pathetic bug by himself? He knew very well that he was nearly killed, but he was still standing now, wasn't he?

And he didn't need her help at all! Who **asked** her to help him anyway?

"I told you to stay put, idiot." He snapped as he tried to look and sound perfectly all right even though his whole body was in a world of pain. He also tried to push away that rational part of his brain that was screaming at him to stop acting so foolish and just let the girl dispose of the bug.

But as usual, his pride won.

"I already said I don't need your help." He looked back to watch her reaction and, as expected, she looked absolutely furious.

"You jerk!" She yelled. "You actually have the nerve to say that to me when I practically saved your life? Again?"

Millisar scowled darkly, wanting to turn back and cut the tongue off the noisy summoner instead. "I never asked you to help me! Couldn't you understand that, you thick-headed twerp?"

"What did you just say to me!?"

That did it apparently. Fire danced in her green eyes as she stopped chanting the spell that held the King Roly in place and instead directed her staff at him. The summoner girl was so angry that he swore he could see steam coming out of her nose and ears like a raging bull.

He unconsciously took a step back. At that moment, he didn't know which one he should fear for his life... the monster bug or the monster-like girl.

The tense atmosphere between them was shattered, however, when the King Roly let out a huge growl and struggled from the plants that held its legs and body. Millisar heard Reiha cry out in alarm and he immediately returned his attention towards the huge insect, his weapon ready.

The creature was growing weak, but with a last ditch-effort to save itself and retaliate from the barrage of attacks it recieved, it started to twist its body into a ball with the very intention of running them through.

...only to have its skull cracked by the weapon it first clamped its mouth onto. Millisar had thrown his dao straight into its head before it could twist itself fully.

The forest collapsed into a cold silence, only their labored breathing could be heard echoing across the clearing.

The King Rolly was finally dead. Millisar didn't want to admit it, but seeing the corpse of the damn insect brought him greater relief than he originally thought.

And most importantly, **he** was the one who brought it down! **He** was the one who delivered the killing blow!

He was about to gloat his win to the girl behind him and rub it in her face when, as soon as he turned around, he came face to face with a staff aimed directly at his head, the curve of the weapon's crescent moon glinting warningly at him.

And that was enough to wipe the smug smile off his lips.

* * *

Reiha didn't know what possessed her to suddenly step up and threaten to hit her companion. She was usually more patient than that! She wasn't one to go around whacking people on the head just because they were jerks! That was why it came as a shock when she found out that she was at the very edge of giving in to the urge to swing her weapon at Millisar.

She'd never been so insulted in her life! How could he say such rude things to her when she was beside him helping him defeat the King Roly? How could he act so mean to her when she had saved him yet again? If it weren't for her he'd probably be the one sprawled dead on the grass instead of the insect!

How could he be so... so... **infuriating**!?

"What are you doing?" His voice was even, his red eyes warily studying her. He didn't look bothered at all, even if her staff was only a few inches from breaking his nose. "What're you gonna do?" His expression was mocking. "Poke me to death with that stick of yours?"

Reiha gripped her weapon tighter in both hands. "I want you to say thank you."

She wasn't surprised when he looked at her as if she was crazy. "Why the heck should I thank you?" He scoffed and she expected him to brush her away, but he didn't budge from his position. He was trying to intimidate her by being indifferent at the fact that she could easily hit him if she wanted to.

Should she hit him then? Her fingers were **itching** to hit him!

"I helped you kill that monster, you ungrateful jerk." She snapped. "The least you can do is to say thank you and stop calling me names."

"I can call you whatever I want whenever I feel like it." He muttered, crossing his arms over his chest. "No way I'm gonna be thankful to a human like you."

Reiha felt like shrieking. "What's so difficult in saying a simple 'thank you'!?"

"Just what is it with you and 'thank you's?" He sounded exasperated and it only irked her even more. "Besides, don't be an idiot. **You** should be the one thankful to me because **I** killed the damn insect.

"Right..." Her voice was dripping with sarcasm. "And you were doing a wonderful job at it, too... Being insect food and all." She was surprised when his hand shot out and gripped the edge of her staff, forcefully yanking it from her. "Hey! Let go of my staff!"

"Look, I told you before to mind your own business! I don't want anything to do with you, okay?" He practically shouted at her face, his eyes burning even redder than before. "I never asked you to-- oh forget it."

Reiha wasn't quite prepared at his sudden change of mood, so when he let go of her weapon and didn't bother to put up a fight anymore, all of whatever she wanted and planned to say to him was forgotten in a snap of a finger. She stared at him with an odd expression on her face and even though he was aware of her confusion, he didn't say anything about it.

Instead, he let out an exhausted sigh and turned around to leave.

It was only then that Reiha took in his battered form and realized how completely tired he was. He was hunched over and his gait was unsteady, his hand holding his ribs tightly as if he was in pain. He still had a firm grip of his sword though, even if he was dragging it along the ground as he walked.

Millisar was injured and he obviously needed help, but he clearly stated before that he wanted nothing to do with her.

_I'll let him do whatever he wants. _She lifted her chin up and frowned, glaring daggers at his back as he limped farther away from where she stood. He wouldn't appreciate her help anyway, so why waste the effort in trying to get on his good side?

Yet, she couldn't deny the worry that was gnawing in her gut as she watched Millisar continue to walk away. Should she really leave him be? Could she really do something so... cold-hearted?

Yes, as a matter of fact she could... but she wouldn't.

Millisar may be a jerk-face, but he was still in trouble and she didn't think her conscience would let her get away with it if she left him behind without doing something to help him at the very least.

"Millisar!" She cried out and without waiting for him to acknowledge her, she closed her eyes and held her staff in front of her, chanting the most powerful healing spell she knew of. She could feel the spirits dancing and whirling all around her as she raised her staff and opened her eyes, directing the spell at Millisar.

The small, flickering orbs of light rushed towards the Summon Beast like a stream of water and formed a glowing halo above him. Reiha almost smiled at the shocked expression on Millisar's face when he was engulfed in the warmth of the spirits as they worked their way on his body, healing most of his severe wounds.

Reiha didn't wait for the spirits to finish their job. As soon as she was confident enough that her spell would be able to take care of Millisar, she turned around and made her way out of the clearing.

She helped him, sure. But she didn't think she could stop herself from hurting him afterwards if she continued to stick around with him for long.

* * *

**Authors Notes:**

Millisar and Reiha are gonna go on their separate ways.... or are they? XD

I'm so sorry again for disappearing all of a sudden, my wonderful readers. I got busy you see.... with other fandoms. Hehe! You can't blame me, can you? I mean... I think I only saw two fics about this pairing and well.... it's very disappointing... and sad. A writer's got to have inspiration in order to write, you know! But oh well... I'm just happy that you people are reading this fic and are supporting this pairing as much as I do. And don't you worry, people. I'm gonna finish this fanfic! I swear it!!

Special thanks to my lovely reviewers!** Haruka Oujo**, **Ike 95**, **LemonDrop**, **little-miss-hyrule**, **Milonar**, **Nya! Ha! Ha~!**, **reichan780**, **reihaxmillisar fan**, **Sakura Moon**, s**lack-jawed cheese hugger**, **tenshiblossom921**, and **The-Twilight-Tenshi**. You guys are the **BEST!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary:**  
(MillisarxReiha) Reiha finds herself taking care of an injured but cranky and annoying Summon Beast.

**Disclaimer:** Summon Night is not mine! I just wanna mess around with its characters for a bit.

**Author's Notes:**

I've been gone a long time, I know... I don't have any valid excuse for my tardiness, but what the heck... Here's an update for my lovely readers! XD And it's a lot longer than the other chapters... hehehe!

* * *

**To Tame a Summon Beast**  
by fascifemina

**Chapter Four**

It had been roughly two hours since Reiha parted ways with Millisar. She had been hiking the forest alone with only her backpack and staff as her only companions.

She hated to admit it but she was starting to feel a little lonely… and a bit nervous.

She found it annoying that just an hour ago she was doing a fine job at imagining that the forest was friendlier than usual. Now, she was making such a great effort not to notice that there really were no birds to lighten up the atmosphere with their bubbly chirping, no soft movements and rustlings to let her know that she was surrounded with animals, and no gentle breeze that usually carry the soothing scents and sounds of Mother Nature.

It was still early in the morning, and all she could think about was how dark and eerily silent the forest was starting to become. She even tried distracting herself by concentrating on the soft sounds of snapping of little twigs and crackling of dead leaves beneath her boots. Still, it was becoming more and more difficult to visualize that she was just taking a nice little walk in the forest.

And the only thing that made her feel better was the fact that she hadn't gotten attacked by any monsters so far.

Her thoughts drifted back to her former companion. She wasn't actually worried about him, but it made her wonder how well he was travelling on his own.

Where was he now? Did he ever feel uncomfortable in the forest? Did he get attacked by monsters?

Did he ever felt… lonely?

She scoffed, refusing to admit that he was probably doing a lot better than her. She couldn't understand him! Why did he hate her that much, anyway? She didn't like his attitude at all, but did that stop her from being nice? She even left her family and friends just to take care of him! She kept on telling him that she didn't mean any harm and yet he was always trying to make her as the enemy. Even if she had helped him defeat the King Roly a couple of hours ago, he still continued to treat her as if she was nothing but an annoyance.

Seriously, what kind of person was he…?

She may not like him, but unlike him, she had manners and she knew **when** to be grateful!

She mentally slapped herself, remembering that one time when she and Aldo were talking about Summon Beasts. Back then, she had been really angry at the other Summon Beasts because they weren't as nice as she had expected.

She smiled at that. Aldo had given her a lecture about it, saying that people weren't really bad. They just had a different view about things because of their experiences. The two of them were fortunate enough to spend most of their lives happy and surrounded with great friends, but they had to be aware that there were also other people who weren't given the chance to experience the finer things in life.

She should never expect anyone to be as nice as them for the simple reason that life just didn't work out that way.

Millisar was one of those people who had a miserable past, so the right thing to do was to understand where he was coming from.

She sighed heavily. Aldo was right, of course. She had been way too quick to judge Millisar. This was probably the first time he had encountered humans who didn't want to keep him locked up in a cage like a wild animal. He already made up his mind to view all humans to be his enemies. He probably didn't know what to think now that there were humans who actually cared about what would happen to him.

He probably didn't know how to react.

Well, she'd just have to remember all that the next time they meet. She had a feeling that they would meet up again sooner or later. After all, they were heading in the **same** direction.

She stopped, her thoughts leading her back to her current situation. The forest where crowded with trees with huge and wide trunks that were so close together that the canopy was thick enough to barely allow sunlight to reach the forest floor. The trees were starting to appear like they were watching her, their trunks and branches bending slowly to take an even closer look.

She had to get out of Battias forest as soon as possible if she wanted to stop feeling so uneasy. The longer she stayed in the woods, the more she felt like losing herself to the gut-wrenching feeling of paranoia.

Hours ticked by at a snail's pace as Reiha continued to force her body to keep on walking. She tried to amuse herself by studying the better part of her environment. She noticed that mushrooms of different sizes and colors littered the ground, but most were gathered around some of the most enormous trees. There were also a lot of weeds, shrubs, sticks, and wildflowers that covered most parts of the trail she was following.

She groaned inwardly. The trees never seemed to thin out and the trail appeared to go on and on forever. Her legs were starting to become sore. The idea of resting for a few minutes passed across her thoughts a number of times, but she kept pushing it at the back of her mind.

She didn't like the notion she was lagging far behind and Millisar was **way** ahead of her.

"Come on, Reiha…" She knew she was acting childish, but it wasn't like there was someone to see or hear her talking to herself! "Just a few hours more and you'd be out of this strange forest."

Then something caught her completely off-guard. She had to blink for a few more seconds just to assure herself that she was really seeing what she thought she was seeing.

At one side of the trail and on top of a steep hill covered by shrubs and thick bushes was a familiar and welcoming sight. There, staying rooted at its spot and standing proudly in its splendor was a Banna tree, its tiny little treasures hanging temptingly along its branches.

"A Banna berry!" She exclaimed in delight. What were the chances of finding her favorite tree in a place like this?

She murmured a proper thank you to the Spirits and their kindness before running towards the only thing she considered friendly in the woods. The hill wasn't very high and she climbed it with no hesitation whatsoever. As soon as she was on top, she practically threw herself against the trunk of the tree as her hands eagerly reached upward to pick one of the tasty looking-berries.

She would have taken a bite on the luscious fruit between her hands with a wide smile on her face, but as soon as she realized what was beyond the tree she was about to consider her haven, she instantly and completely lost her appetite.

She wasn't entirely sure how it happened, but she was suddenly being stared at by pairs of huge eyes owned by a large number of Killer and Torture wasps. She had unknowingly stumbled upon their nest and she didn't think they would let her off so easily from the way they were staring at her like she was a piece of meat.

Her body went rigid and her mind shifted into a sudden stop. All she could hear and feel was the large pounding of her heart against her chest.

Suddenly, she didn't mind it at all when the fruit slid off her fingers and rolled along the muddy ground.

* * *

Millisar cringed slightly at the screeching noises of the large wasp, its body trembling violently after being impaled by his dao. The few strands of fur that covered a small portion of it neck trickled with its own blood as it struggled even in its final moments. He raised his foot to push it off his weapon and the wasp's corpse tumbled alongside its other lifeless companions.

The ground he was standing on was soft and wet because of all the blood that seeped into the earth. He was forced to cover his nose so he wouldn't be able to breathe the heavy stench of death.

For a while, he admired his handiwork no matter how gruesome it looked like. These bastards had given him a nasty time and he was very much satisfied to see these insects dead and swimming in their own filth.

"Damn it..." He cursed as his arms stung from the cuts and bruises he unfortunately received from the battle. They weren't anything serious, but he didn't know how much more he could take the next time another group of monsters ambush him along the way.

Throwing one last hateful look at the insects, Millisar continued his trek along the forest.

Fighting the fanged turtles and the bunch of rolys wasn't much of a problem because they move and attack slow enough to give him enough time to cast spells that could kill them in a single hit. To his annoyance, however, the wasps were posing as a more difficult threat because of their speed and their number. They were all aggressive and they made it a point not to give him a chance to call the spirits for help, so he had no choice but to deal with them the old-fashioned way...and that was to hack and slash until every single one of them was dead.

Battling against ten or more of those wasps was something he wasn't looking forward to experience again anytime soon... It was enough to make him think that travelling alone wasn't such a smart idea after all.

He scowled. Surely he wasn't **that** desperate to consider asking help from the human girl? What could she do? She'd probably just slow him down.

He shook his head. No, she wouldn't slow him down. Their fight against the King Roly proved that she was worth at least something in the battlefield. It even took him by surprise that she was able to make the Spirits follow her since she didn't have what the Summoners called 'Summonite' pinned on her head. He assumed that the Demi-Beasts she was travelling with had something to do with her powers.

Although, that didn't change the fact that he couldn't stand her presence... or just about any human he would ever come across with. Humans brought back nothing but painful memories. Now that he'd gained freedom and a chance to go back home, he didn't want to risk losing it by getting involved with any more humans for the rest of his time in this world.

But he had to admit that she and her friends confused him in more ways than one. What were they thinking helping a Fugitive Summon Beast like him? Not to mention, her group was anything but normal. Humans, Demi-Beasts, and a Summon Beast helping each other like friends?

It was completely unheard of.

He was well-aware that the Summoners and Demi-Beasts were at war for the longest time. Why was it that in her group, neither the Demi-Beasts nor Summoners seemed to care that they were traveling together? It was surprising to find them helping one another and treating each other so civilly.

Also, what was Aldo doing with the Summoners? He was very different from the other Summon Beasts in a way that his life was never full of sadness and torture. He'd never met any Summon Beast as fortunate as he was and he honestly didn't know what to think about that.

And what about Reiha herself? He considered her as the strangest of the group. She was a human, but she wasn't one of the Summoners. Instead, she acted like one of the Demi-Beasts as if it was most natural thing for her to do. The Demi-Beasts were so comfortable with her presence that, judging by her clothes, they had already considered her as one of them.

And on top of that, she had a Summon Beast who would rather stay by her side than join his fellow Summon Beasts to return to their world! Just what was it about that girl that made Aldo reject even his own race? She was a human and all humans were nothing but trouble! She had to be brainwashing him to make him act like that!

Or they probably liked the girl because she was some sort of a do-gooder. A naive and innocent do-gooder.

He knew that first-hand because even though he already made it clear that he didn't want her help or whatever, she still continued to offer him her help. It didn't matter if she was furious and exasperated with him or not. She left her friends just to take care of someone she didn't even know!

Who would do something so reckless like that?

And weren't they supposed to be enemies? What was she trying to pull by being nice with someone like him?

Seriously, that trait of hers would get her in trouble some day. She should consider herself lucky because if he had been like Ghardib, she would have been dead by now. And why the hell did her friends leave her behind, anyway? He wanted to smack some sense into them for being so stupid. Didn't they care about her? Or did they trust her that much to leave her on her own with a stranger?

Now that he thought about it, he wondered if she even made it halfway through the forest. He couldn't use his spells during his battle with the wasps, so he fought them with his sword. But what about her? She only had her staff to protect her and he didn't think whacking them on the head with that flimsy pole would be enough to slow them down.

Her best bet to survive was to avoid those wasps if she could help it.

He wasn't worried, of course. She proved her abilities in battle, didn't she? She seemed like a smart girl. Surely she'd be able to come up with ways to survive against those creatures. Besides, wasn't she determined to prove to him that she was capable of taking care of herself back when they were in the cave?

She could handle herself just fine. There really was no need for him to waste his time thinking about her.

He wondered why he was thinking about her in the first place. He should be focusing on how he could get to Miss Phicra as fast as possible!

With a snort, Millisar cleared his head of anything else other than what he would do to Ghardib once he was back at Miss Phicra's side. If he ever found out that he had lifted a finger on her, he'd beat him up so bad that he'd wish he was back in the facility with the Summoners.

He was halfway on crossing the small stream that ran across the middle of the path he was following when he almost stumbled in his steps as the ground he was standing on began to shake violently. He quickly turned around and his eyes widened when, in a split-second, it was followed by a loud explosion that reverberated across the forest, sending a strong wave of dust and debris to fly in his direction.

Before he could investigate what was going on, his ears caught a series of strange noises that jolted all his senses into a heightened state of alarm. Was he being attacked again? He muttered a curse under his breath as he unsheathed his dao and gripped it tightly before speeding off towards a place he deemed safe enough to fight on.

It didn't take a genius to know that the monsters that were rushing towards him were a great deal in number. Did they really think that they would catch him off-guard this time around? He concentrated and called the aid of the Spirits. Dark orbs began to swirl around him and created beams of dark energy.

The sounds were getting louder and louder and the tension in the air was growing thicker and thicker...

What he didn't expect to see was a disgruntled-looking Reiha bursting from the shrubbery and rushing towards him so fast that he almost believed his mind was only playing tricks on him. For a second, he actually thought it really was just an illusion because her body seemed to float, her legs glowing greenish-white as if she had wings at the back of her feet.

Before his mind could process that he wasn't just seeing things and she had only casted a spell on herself to appear like that, it was too late. He was so surprised that he didn't notice the way she screamed his name in panic as she seemed to be having trouble stopping and was now close enough to crash into him.

The next thing he knew, he was lying on his back with the girl on top of him and squeezing the wind out of his lungs. He barely had the chance to recover before two hands grabbed his shoulders and shook him again and again. "Millisar! I'm so sorry! Quick! Get up!" She shouted in his face, a mixture of worry and hysteria evident in her voice.

Millisar didn't know if he was relieved to see that the human girl was still alive or if he should grab her and throw her off him instead.

Not a minute later, the wasps showed themselves from the trees, their wild flapping of wings filling both his ears as they flew overhead and casted shadows over the two of them. Millisar didn't expect to see so many... How in the world did Reiha gather that many monsters to pursue after her!?

"Get off!" He exclaimed as both of them tried to disentangle themselves from each other as fast they could. They were both standing back to back when the wasps landed on either side of them, intending to surround him and Reiha so they wouldn't be able to escape. "What the heck did you do now?"

She didn't answer until he nudged her sharply on her shoulder. She groaned outwardly and gave him a glare. "I accidentally walked right into their nest, okay...?"

He was flabbergasted. "You did what!?"

"HEY! I tried to distract them and run away, but they were too many!" She yelled and nudged him back, clearly wanting to forget about her carelessness. "And this isn't the right time to talk about this!"

Millisar scoffed and directed his glare on the wasps around them instead. He saw at the corner of his eyes how poorly Reiha defended herself against one wasp that tried to sink its pincer-like mouth into her. Her staff didn't offer her much protection and he heard her cry out when the wasp clamped its mouth around her weapon and began tugging it from her grip.

That girl was definitely more trouble than she was worth.

He side-stepped and lunged forward towards her attacker, his arms moving to thrust his dao against its stomach in one fluid motion. The wasp dropped dead on the ground.

But that, apparently, was the signal for all the others to move in and attack.

There was chaos everywhere as both of them struggled with all their might not to be taken over by the swarm of insects. Millisar fiercely fought back and he noted that Reiha was also doing everything she could to fend off the monsters. Reiha wasn't equipped to fight in close combat like this, and if she tried to summon any spells, the wasps would overwhelm her before she had the chance to finish her magic.

"This isn't working, Millisar!" She shouted at him over the noise and the wasp that was trying to take a bite out of her arm. "I don't think I can take much more of this!" She gasped out loud when the wasp managed to break her defense. Millisar immediately rushed to her aid and kicked the insect off from her before it could do anything more dangerous.

They had to work as a team.

"Cast the most powerful spell you know!" He hissed as he pushed her behind him, his body acting as a shield for her. "I'll cover you!"

After that, everything happened in fast forward. His blood pumped wildly in his veins as monsters came in all directions. He relied on his instincts and reflexes as he strained his body to fight the wasps wave after wave. The longer he fought, however, the more the battle seemed to stretch even longer than ever. But in the heat of the battle, he made sure the human girl wasn't hurt and kept a closer eye on those wasps that attempted to attack her while she was chanting her magic.

"Hurry up!" Millisar let out a frustrated yell as he dodged an incoming attack from one of the wasps' poisonous fangs. He turned around and scowled at her, hoping that she would get the message to hurry up and be done with it.

Reiha only glared at him, giving him a look that said 'Are you kidding me?'.

Damn girl and her slowness...

In what seemed like forever, she finally managed to gather the wind Spirits. He wanted to yell at her for taking her sweet time, but as soon as he took note of his surroundings, a strong chill shot straight down his spine and cut off his words. Something big was coming and his instinct was insistently pulling at him to run away and hide. At the corner of his eyes, he noticed that even the wasps had also ceased their movements.

Strong winds blew in all directions and his eyes widened at the monstrous sight that was slowly developing before the girl.

Reiha had come up with a humongous and fearsome whirlwind, its howls piercing through the air as it grew tremendously in size. Before he could react, he felt someone grab him by the shoulders and he was suddenly snuggled against Reiha and both of them were protected by a bubble light. His reaction was instant. He became aghast at their closeness and immediately considered the idea of jumping several feet away from her as if she had burned his skin.

But as soon as he laid eyes on those unfortunate monsters outside their small barrier, he visibly stiffened.

The great whirlwind grabbed all their enemies and blew them high into the air as it greedily gobbled up everything in its path. The hurricane grew larger and larger while tearing through the wasps as they were trapped in its wrath, their bodies being ripped into shreds by blade-like winds.

He winced inwardly. He'd rather tolerate being close to her like this than join those unfortunate monsters and have his guts ripped out and torn to shreds.

For a moment, the two of them watched as the sky rained down with wings and torn body parts. Blood came down like droplets of rain and the ground was painted in crimson.

It didn't take long before the forest went still and succumbed once again in its usual silence.

Reiha had done it again. He was once again left speechless with her summoning powers... and it disturbed him more than he cared to admit. How could she summon such powerful Spirits when she wasn't even a Summon Beast, Demi Beast, or a full-fledged Summoner? He'd seen and done more powerful whirlwinds than what she had conjured, but a human summoning wind Spirits at that level was... disconcerting.

He looked down at the girl still clinging onto his shirt with a mix of suspicion and hate. If a girl like her could summon that much Spirits, then there would probably be other humans who had the same abilities as her. Worse, maybe even more powerful than her.

Feeling that unbridled hate towards humans well-up inside him again, he caught Reiha's wrists in a tight grip, pried her fingers off his shirt, and pushed her with such force that she shrieked and tumbled to the ground in an undignified heap.

"Ouch!" She rubbed her arm painfully and Millisar saw that there was a small cut across her elbow and blood was starting to creep along the wound. He forced down the guilt that nagged at him and looked down at her with a sneer on his face.

"It took you THAT long to summon a pathetic spell like that?" He knew he was being unreasonably rude, but that was for the best. He could never praise her openly, his pride and hatred for what the humans had done to him would never allow it. Besides, it was better that she didn't realize the power she had.

Humans should never be given such power. Nothing good would ever come out of it. They'd only bring more misery and he'd be damned if he let them torture other Summon Beasts with their twisted and sadistic experiments.

"How dare you..." She growled under her breath as she directed him a dangerous glare. He expected her to burst and yell at him for being such a complete bastard. He knew he deserved it and he was actually allowing her to abuse him with verbal attacks, but he didn't say he'd make it easier for her, did he?

It came as a surprise when her anger deflated afterwards. She pinched the bridge of her nose as if to calm her nerves before letting out a heavy sigh. He was taken aback when her green eyes looked up at him in a blank stare. There were no traces of anger and frustration left in those wary orbs as she regarded him carefully from head to toe.

He realized that he didn't like the way she was looking at him at all.

"It seems like you're not doing so well by yourself either." She stated. He followed her gaze and he looked down at himself, noting the cuts and several bruises that lined his arms. For a moment, he thought about snapping at her that he only got those scrapes when she brought an army of wasps to face off against him, but thought better of it.

He knew very well what she was trying to do. She was baiting him to travel alongside her.

He knew it would come to this eventually. After their match against the King Roly this morning, he had already toyed with the idea of cooperating with her. His distaste against humans won, of course. But now, he couldn't deny the fact that he really did need her help to get out of Battias forest alive. He didn't even want to think what would happen to him if he had been the one to trespass on the wasps' territory.

But then again, he wasn't stupid... unlike some girl he knew.

"I know what you want, Reiha..." He suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. "And no. It's not going to happen."

He was lying, of course. He just wanted her to **beg**.

"What!?" She scrambled to stand up and he didn't miss the slight swagger in her footsteps as she approached him. "Did you really think you can handle this by yourself?" She made her point by turning her attention to their surroundings filled with rotten carcasses of humongous insects. "If it wasn't for me and my PATHETIC whirldwind, you would have been dead by now."

Millisar smirked inwardly. Her determination would have been more believable if her hands didn't shake so much. "If it wasn't for YOU, I wouldn't even have to deal with this mess."

"Oh yeah? Then what have you been doing for the past few hours? Those cuts on your arms and tears on your clothes didn't just magically appear, did they?" She raised an eyebrow at him, daring him to answer. "Or are you going to tell me that those aren't your fault, too? Since you're being so stubborn to ask for anybody's help?"

And then she was suddenly spouting about the advantages of having the two of them working together, all the while making it a point to make it sound like he'd do a whole lot better if she was traveling with him. With intense concentration, he zoned out her chatterings until all he could hear were light buzzing sounds. To his irritation, those sounds drilled into his head like an incredibly annoying pest that threatened to give him a large headache.

Here she was, reprimanding him about how he could use a little help when it was clear as daylight that **she** was the one desperate enough to ask for some help from him. She was trying to reverse the situation by shoving it in his face that **he** was the one who needed her help and not the other way around.

He scrunched his eyebrows together. This was getting a tad ridiculous for his own liking. He wanted her to **beg **not **nag**.

"Okay! Just shut up already!" He raised his hands in front of him in defense, hoping to shut her up before he could do anything to that irritating mouth of hers that they'd both regret. He didn't need this. He was running out of time and if he wasn't in such a tight situtation, he'd leave her here without a word.

"Great!" She replied and Millisar scowled at the triumphant grin that was plastered on her face. _That little..._ He glared daggers at her smiling face. _She rattled nonstop on purpose just to annoy me and make me agree. _

She was craftier than he thought.

"But I swear... if you do anything suspicious..." Not that she could do anything to him, of course. But he didn't want her to get any funny ideas in her head. He was stronger than her and he'd intimidate her into submission if necessary. "Come on. Let's go." He grumbled and walked past her. If she hadn't called him in a strange and startingly strangled voice, he would have gone on without looking back to see if she was following. He turned around and saw her kneeling down, her breath coming in short gasps.

"Millisar..." She murmured with difficulty as she looked up at him. Her face was pale and she was dangerously wobbling from side to side. "Can't we go somewhere..." She stopped and cleared her throat. "...and rest for a while? That spell was... too much for me."

Millisar didn't move from his spot as he continued to look at the slumped form of the girl. She didn't seem bothered at all that he wasn't making any move to help her. "I'm not carrying you. Get up if you don't want to be dragged."

Reiha let out an annoyed snort as she ignored him, her body growing limp. Millisar frowned as he walked towards her form just as she fell face-first to the ground.

He knew it. He knew she was more trouble than she was worth.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

I truly am sorry for the slow updates, people... I hope you guys are still with me. Thank you so much for all the wonderful reviews. XD

Oh and I hope you guys don't find Millisar too rude or anything... I know that Millisar's originally kind and all that, but after years of being stuck in a lab and having witnessed other Summon Beasts suffering and dying, I think it's only right that he'd hold an even amount of hatred towards humans. The game shifted his personality too fast for my own liking. But he doesn't **hate** Reiha. He just **doesn't like** her.

Special thanks to: **Haruka Oujo, Nefetari Moon, Monaty'sfantasy, Suiten-Aker, reichan780, Weasley-And-Spock-Sisters, yorushihe, SierralaineWalsh, Girl, and Not Yet Insane. **


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary:**  
(MillisarxReiha) Reiha finds herself taking care of an injured but cranky and annoying Summon Beast.

**Disclaimer:** Summon Night is not mine! I just wanna mess around with its characters for a bit.

**Author's Notes:**

Hehehe... And so... after nearly a year without saying a word... Uhhh... sorry? I'm really, really, really sorry? Anyway, just go ahead and read. =D

**

* * *

****To Tame a Summon Beast**  
by fascifemina

**Chapter Five**

When Reiha finally opened her eyes, she was greeted by a huge expanse of the night sky, the stars decorating the never ending blackness like glittering orbs. The moon hung silently overhead and sheets of dark and puffy clouds surrounded it, creeping little by little to hide the brilliantly white sphere.

When was the last time she and Aldo had gazed at the beautiful night sky like this? After all the strange events that had been happening, their normal life at Marbado seemed so long ago.

She groaned, her head aching as if someone had pounded on it without mercy. Her hand reached up to her temple to ease the pain. As she did so, her nose caught the musty smell of charred wood as well as the burnt smell of fish. Her gaze landed on a small bonfire and a dark figure sitting languidly on the other side, his red eyes glowing in the dark.

"Finally, you're awake."

She didn't miss the open hostility laced in that tone he used. Couldn't he be more obvious? From the way he had said it, it was as if he was actually disappointed she woke up.

"Where are we?" She sat up and tried her best to ignore the way he stared at her with unnerving intensity. He could make her uncomfortable just by looking at her. Really, how he managed to do it so effectively was beyond her.

For a moment, she tried to gather her wits about and remember all that had happened and how exactly she had gotten herself in her current situation.

Memories of the past two days came rushing back, flashing wildly before her eyes. She had left her family and friends to take care of Millisar, only to find out that she had taken a task that was more complicated than she had first thought. Afterward, they had a grueling fight with a King Roly and she almost got herself harassed by a deadly swarm of Killer and Torture Wasps. Now, she was stuck with that grumpy Summon Beast who had that unbelievable need to make her feel as unhappy as possible.

She groaned loudly. She could feel her headache getting much worse.

"Where do **you** think?" He replied in annoyance. "You lost consciousness a while back. We have no choice but to spend another night in the forest again."

Her eyebrows furrowed at his indirect way of accusing her that it was all her fault that they were wasting precious time. And if she hadn't fainted, they would have been nearer to the desert by now. A deep frown formed on her lips. When he took such an annoyingly long time to wake up after the incident with Ghardib, did she complain?

_The nerve of that lousy...! _She bit her lip, suppressing her anger and trying to act as nonchalant as possible. She wouldn't give him the pleasure of seeing her furious with him. Still, he'd better think again if he expected her to let him treat her this way. "You think it's easy to fight a group of monsters all by myself?"

He visibly stiffed and Reiha smirked at the little jab on his overly large ego. "A little cocky, aren't we? For someone who just collapsed after casting a puny whirlwind."

"Well, at least that puny whirlwind got rid of all the monsters and was a lot more helpful than somebody I know."

They glared at each other then, neither one backing down. As if sensing the growing tension between the two, the forest grew quiet and only the soft crackling of the fire could be heard.

Reiha would have continued glaring at him if she hadn't realized the embarrassing way she was acting. She was bickering with Millisar like a little kid! She was an adult now - the memory of their Coming of Age still fresh in her mind. She really should know better than that!

The girl frowned in irritation. She usually had a firm control over her temper, unleashing it when the situation called for it or when Aldo or Nassau did something that really riled her up. It surprised her that just one snide comment from this infuriating man was all it took for her control to come crumbling down.

How she hated it that it always turned out like this whenever she was speaking with him.

"Look..." She let out a heavy sigh as she broke eye contact and pushed away that annoying feeling of admitting defeat. She didn't like it, but she wouldn't let herself fall down to his level of immaturity. "Since we're going to be stuck with each other for a few days, why don't we just try to get along?"

He narrowed his eyes dangerously. "How will I know if you can be trusted?"

She felt like slapping her palm against her forehead. "Really, Millisar... Have I done something that would lead you to think that way of me?" She left her friends to take care of him, she helped him fight monsters even if he didn't appreciate it, and she even cured his wounds! What more did he want from her to prove that she didn't mean anything harm?

"You're my enemy. All humans are." He answered in a tone of finality.

"Millisar... I know you don't like me." She was getting exhausted. Their constant arguing was starting to drain every last bit of energy left within her. "And I'm not very fond of you either, but-"

"Then why are you here?" He cut her off, his eyes narrowed. "Why did you leave your friends just to help me?"

Reiha opened her mouth to speak and was surprised to find the words flow out of her lips so easily. "I told you... I was repaying you for what you did." She stopped, shifting uncomfortably in her position. Since when did she need a reason to help someone? "If it weren't for you, Ghardib would have been-"

"Don't misunderstand." He crossed his arms over his chest, looking annoyed as ever. Reiha wondered if he ever got tired of being grumpy all the time. "I didn't care about saving you. Ghardib was a fool. He went out of line when he involved an idiot like you. You really should learn when to stop butting in on other people's problems..."

Reiha stared at him for a good ten seconds, her cheeks burning with anger she couldn't quite place. How could he be so cruel...? A part of her had expected that he didn't really mean to save her, but from the way he admitted it as if he was already regretting what he had done, it struck a cord and it hurt her more than she cared to admit.

She didn't expect him to protect her from Ghardib because he cared about her, but the fact still remained that he was the one who saved her. She was grateful for that, so she did what she felt was right.

But what did she get in return? A mental slap on the face for being an idiot - for being a **nosy** idiot.

Her patience snapped in two and all she could feel was the almost painful knot forming inside her stomach. She was angry at Millisar for being so difficult and really angry at herself for expecting him to be kind in return.

"Yeah, I suppose I am an idiot." She was so angry her voice was shaking. "What am I doing, saving someone who's trying to destroy my home and everything I care about just because of my stupid conscience?"

Millisar was a Summon Beast who was conspiring with his race to destroy their world. Repaying his one act of kindness towards her shouldn't be enough reason to let him roam around and do whatever he wanted. He was threatening to ruin the peace she enjoyed with her friends and family. For all they knew, he could be plotting to attack them from behind...

What if... What if he tried to kill her?

A cold sweat ran down the side of her cheek, realizing just then how dangerous her situation really was. Her anger momentarily forgotten, her eyes scanned wildly for her staff. With a sickening lurch in her gut, she realized that her staff was right beside Millisar. Time seemed to stop as her mind went into a crazed frenzy, images of her getting slashed in half by his sword or getting scorched by his black flames flashed before her eyes.

But that thought vanished as fast as it came because there was also that nagging feeling telling her that Millisar wouldn't do something as horrible as that. Ghardib, maybe, but not Millisar. He may be a complete jerk, but she couldn't see nor sense that cruel insanity in his eyes.

He was looking at her as if she'd loosen a few screws and had gone crazy. "What the hell are you talking about?" There was genuine surprise on his face.

She didn't want to believe his innocence, though. She had no idea what their plan really was, but she knew that it was anything but good. He could be faking it just to catch her off-guard for all she knew.

"Don't play innocent with me..." She was scared, but she wouldn't dare show it. Oh, how she wished Aldo was beside her right now...

"What are you talking about...?" He was still gaping at her with that expression and Reiha took that chance to calm herself down. He looked really confused and the seeds of doubt were starting to form in her mind. So, she let her anger and frustration do the talking for her.

"Do you realize how much damage all of you have been causing? Do you have any idea how much the Spirits are suffering? I may not sense their anguish as well as Aldo and Ayn, but they're hurting so much..." She bit her lip, her worry for her family and friends fueling her anger. "My family and friends..." She stopped. "**Everybody** is suffering because of you. Is your revenge really worth it that you're willing to let everyone suffer?"

She resisted the urge to back away. His red eyes were burning. "You seem to forget. I'm a Summon Beast, too." He spat with venom in his tone. "What Aldo's feeling now will never compare to what I and the other Summon Beasts have endured under your filthy human hands."

She scowled. "I know you've had a miserable past and I'm trying to understand that, but please stop blaming all humans for what they've done to you."

"What do you want us to do? Just forget about it?" He was raging now. Reiha almost cried out in fear when he suddenly stood up from his spot, his hands clenched into tight fists. He looked like he wanted to punch her.

Trembling, she stood up almost as quickly, wanting nothing more than to feel the weight of her staff in her hands. This was it. She had just signed her death warrant. Her mouth had gotten ahead of her and she was going to pay for it with her life. Millisar was not going to be an easy foe to deal with.

The forest went eerily dark and terribly cold. At that moment, all she really wanted was to see her foster brother again.

She was taken aback when his expression changed and he heaved a heavy sigh. He turned around and settled himself under a nearby tree, giving her her much needed space. "We're not seeking revenge." He said after a long while. Reiha had to strain her ears to hear the words he said next. "If we had, you guys would have been dead by now." There was no malice in his voice. She couldn't read the expression on his face, but she saw, much to her shock, the complete and utter sorrow in those red eyes. "We just wanted to go home."

That one look silenced her completely and the anger she felt was snuffed out like the small flickering flame of a candle.

She hadn't liked him from the very start, had exchanged heated insults with him during their brief encounters, and had been one of the main reasons why she disliked Summon Beasts except for Aldo. It was disturbing to see him acting that way and even more disturbing that she couldn't find it in her heart to hate him for what was happening in their world anymore, even if the rational part of her mind was shouting at her not to be deceived.

She had seen the labs with her own eyes, after all. She hadn't really thought much about it because she had been busy with worrying about Aldo, his unrestrained powers, as well as the condition of the Spirits. Now, in a way, she sort of understood why some of the Summon Beasts would think of getting revenge on humans.

The Summon Beasts had been forced to live most of their lives imprisoned in the Catheirns, their powers being used for selfish reasons. She would probably never understand the pain all of them must have suffered, but she was thankful that Aldo had been spared from experiencing that.

No one deserved to be put on a life as cruel and horrible as that. It was no wonder that it was so difficult for Millisar to trust someone, especially her. No matter how much she defended her good intentions, it wouldn't change the fact that she was still an enemy of his because she was a human.

They didn't talk much after that. The air was so heavy with tension that she was choking on it. Reiha spent the rest of the night sitting closer to the warmth of the small bonfire and seeking the comfort it brought, trying very hard not to notice her companion who was staring off into space with a blank look in his eyes.

For once, she actually wished she had kept her mouth shut.

* * *

Both were still silent the following morning, neither willing to acknowledge each other's presence as they continued making their way out of the forest. During those quiet hours, they made a quick stop at a nearby river to stock up on food and water for the trip to Hadrian desert.

Millisar wasn't exactly sure why his normally noisy companion suddenly had her tongue stuck on her throat, but he would be a fool to start complaining about that.

He needed the silence. And more importantly, he needed some time to calm himself down.

He was still angry at her, their spat last night still left a bitter taste in his mouth. He wasn't blind to what has been happening to the Spirits, but he knew it was unavoidable if they wanted to find a way back home. He trusted Phicra and he knew that she was aware that what they were doing was a means to an end.

And why the hell was she even pinning all the blame on them anyway? Those bastard summoners were the ones who started everything in the first place! They were using the Spirits and his people to satisfy their greed for power! If she wanted to blame anyone, she should blame herself!

He could feel the despair and hate building and coiling in his gut like a bomb threatening to explode. For a moment, he wanted to welcome it and give in to his inner demons, to avenge his brothers and sisters who didn't deserve all the years of pain and suffering from her kind. He wanted to relish it, wanted to make her understand just how it felt like, wanted to hurt her so badly the way her race had horribly mangled and disfigured them physically and emotionally.

But no. He wasn't like Ghardib, nor was he going to level himself on the same plane as these ruthless and pathetic humans.

He just wanted to go home. He wanted all of them to go home and leave this place and their cruel past behind. If it means turning a blind eye on what was going on in this world then that was what he was going to do.

He convinced himself that those humans deserved it. They should be thankful that Ghardib was the only one cruel enough to take it to the point where their deaths were the only answer to appease their suffering.

Millisar tilted his head slightly to look at the human behind him and found her staring at the ground as she walked. Her shoulders were slumped forward and a frown was etched on her face. She looked exhausted and the dark circles under her eyes were a testament that she wasn't able to get as much sleep last night.

He snorted. If she suddenly collapsed on him again, he'd leave her. That would probably nag at his conscience for a while, but the guilt would go away soon enough if he forced himself to forget it.

"This isn't good." She spoke and Millisar's lips curled slightly downwards. The human girl finally had the courage to speak to him. He didn't know whether he should be annoyed or what.

He didn't bother stopping or turning around to know what was going on inside her head and trudged on, his senses alert for any monsters nearby.

"We don't have enough supplies to make it through the desert."

He stopped, startled at what she just said and caused him to look back at her. "What?"

She frowned. "Look, we may not have as much trouble when it comes to water, but..." She fingered the straps of her worn-out backpack, her uneasiness mounting. "See my backpack? The wasps didn't go easy on it either." She was right. It had a few scratches on the side and there was a huge hole on top of the bag where the leather was practically ripped apart. He could actually see and identify some of her things in there. "Most of the stuff that we need for the trip were lost."

He cursed silently. He didn't like where this was going.

"I've lived in a desert once..." She continued then stopped, correcting herself. "I mean... me and Aldo... when we used to live with uncle Mardin. It's not a very comfortable place."

So she was complaining now? "What are you getting at?" He asked, irritated. Was she telling him that they should just give up? Like hell he would! "I'm going to see Miss Phicra no matter what happens. Go home and scram if that's what you want."

She pinched the bridge of her nose and Millisar almost smirked when he noticed how hard she was trying to stop herself from strangling him. "That's not what I meant, you idiot!" She muttered through gritted teeth. "What I meant to say is... we should find some place where we could get some supplies for the trip. Like a small village, maybe."

A village? In the middle of nowhere? "And do you have any idea where to find that village of yours?" He raised a skeptical eyebrow at her.

"According to uncle Mardin, there used to be a small settlement at the north eastern part of the forest. When the Catheirn was still operational, the Summoners used to get their resources there since the nearest city was at least a week's travel by foot." She explained and pulled out a map from her bag and held it up for him to see. "If my sense of direction is right, we're here." She pointed at the badly drawn "X" mark on the paper. "And the village is right here." She dragged her finger a few centimeters northeast, following the trail of the river which he assumed was the river that they'd just visited a few hours ago. "Although I'm not so sure if we can trust this map anymore..."

He directed her a questioning and rather impatient glare. "And why is that?"

"When we were at Marbado, the Spirits had changed the environment so much that we couldn't recognize even our own village. Everything was out of place. Landmarks that weren't supposed to be there suddenly appeared from out of nowhere." She folded the map and returned it to her bag. "For all I know, the village in this forest could now be in a different place altogether."

"How do you even know that the village still exists?"

Her lips were set in a grim line and she averted her eyes from him. "I don't."

Then there was that silence again. This time, Millisar's annoyance wasn't directed at the girl in front of him but at the troublesome situation they got themselves into. He'd never been in a desert before, so he wouldn't really know what it was like. Was it really as hostile as the girl was making it out to be?

He scoffed. She was weak, so of course she'd overreact on the simplest things...

She must have read his thoughts because she stomped her foot angrily and glared at him. "I'm serious, Millisar! Without the right supplies, we could die out there. Hadrian desert isn't exactly small enough for us to travel in just a day, you know. And you're not exactly carrying anything else except your sword."

The logical part of his brain could see the sense of what she was saying. Who knows what kind of desert monsters they'd run up against once they get there? If they weren't in their best condition when they fought them, they'd be extremely lucky if they managed to escape without a broken limb or two.

"Come on, Millisar! If you just keep on standing there we'll never reach the others on time." Reiha shoved her way past him, apparently not caring anymore what his answer was going to be. This caused the Summon Beast to frown in irritation as he followed behind. It seemed like he didn't have a say on the matter after all.

As they trudged on again for another hour, Millisar noticed that the trees were becoming less dense as if the forest was slowly opening a path outside for them. He could feel the winds changing and the heat growing more intense as the canopy became thinner. Hadrian desert was just a few more steps away. And just beyond this desert were Miss Phicra and Ghardib...

Could he really risk a day of finding that village the human girl was talking about? Every passing hour that he was wasting could mean life and death to Miss Phicra.

"If we don't find that village of yours, I'm gonna leave you behind no matter what you say." He shouldn't be wasting his time with the human girl! He should be sprinting towards the Catheirn as fast as he could, monsters and desert be damned! Supplies were important, but Miss Phicra needed him right now!

Reiha, who strayed from the path they were following and was now far ahead of him by a few meters, stopped and looked at him straight in the eyes, her expression deadly serious as she motioned for him to come and take a look. Grumbling under his breath, Millisar reached her place and was almost taken aback at the sight before him and the sudden force of the Spirits as their powers nearly overwhelmed him.

They were standing at the edge of a cliff and as they looked down, he could see the vast desert before them, sand dunes, quick sands, and high rocky plateus as far as the eye could see. As a Summon Beast, he was more in tune with his surroundings and the Spirits were bearing down on him without mercy, mainly because they were now closer to the source of the Spirits' distress. Monsters were roaming the sands like silent guardians and were clustered in packs. One wrong move and they could say goodbye to their one chance of finding Miss Phicra or the human girl's companions.

"If we** don't** find that village..." Reiha nibbled on her bottom lip nervously. "...then we're going to need a whole lot of luck to make it out of there alive."

Finally realizing the true gravity of the situation, he found himself agreeing with her with a silent nod.

* * *

"Are you sure this is the right way, human?"

Reiha gritted her teeth together, almost wishing that if only she could just smack him upside the head with her staff and drag his unconscious body the rest of the way. Seriously! This was the **fourth** time he'd ask her that! Here she was, struggling to understand the darn map in her hand and compare it to their ever changing surroundings while Millisar was being completely useless and kept on distracting her to boot!

_Now where was I...? _The two of them had been following the river for quite some time now, but there was still no sign of the village. She was getting more and more worried. What if they never found the village? There was simply no way they'd be able to get to the others with their meager supplies, especially with those monsters crawling all over the desert. They could try their luck by running and hiding from the said monsters, but even then, they would never escape the hostile environment.

What was she going to do? If worse comes to worst, she'd have to make do with whatever she could find in the forest. She didn't know how much that would offer, but she needed all the help they could get.

"We've been walking for almost two hours! Do you even know where we're going?"

The girl almost had the urge to crumple the map in her hand and throw it at his face. Instead, she took a few deep breaths and forced her hands to loosen her grip on the paper. The map was Uncle Mardin's. She wouldn't want to return it to him looking all torn and full of creases.

"Hand me the map."

Reiha cried out in surprise when the map was yanked from her hands without warning. "Millisar! Give that back right now!"

Millisar only scowled at her in reply as he carefully eyed its contents, turning the paper upside down, right side up, then in all sorts of directions Reiha didn't bother knowing. With a look of disgust, he crumpled the paper in his hand and, before her very eyes, threw it nonchalantly towards the river.

The girl could only gape at him in shock. "Y-You...! The map...! I-I...!"

"That map of yours won't get us anywhere." Millisar muttered in frustration. "You do realize that no matter how much you stare at it, there's still no way for us to tell exactly where we are since the Spirits have changed everything!" He threw his arms to the air, exasperated. "I knew it! I knew I should have dragged you to the desert the first time I had the chance!"

Reiha still couldn't get over the fact that he'd thrown the map in the river. "That was Uncle Mardin's, you... you jerk!" She screamed, tears of frustration swelling in her eyes. She'd **had** it with him! She was dreadfully tired and was panicking beyond belief! She didn't need** this**! She didn't want to **deal** with him anymore! She just wanted to see her brother and the others again!

She could feel her sanity slipping from her grasp until her emotions finally began to burst and she gave in to the temptation to hit her companion. The metal rod didn't connect with her intended target, though. Millisar had anticipated her attack and his hand reached out to grab her weapon in mid-swing. His expression was equally furious.

Just then, screams tore through the forest, freezing the couple in place and shattering the overflowing tension between them.

Reiha's heart thumped wildly in her chest as they heard another agonized scream that sent chills straight to her spine. "What was...?" She shared a nervous glance with her companion. Millisar was tense and alert, his eyes narrowed as he tried to discern where the screams were coming from.

"Something's burning." He gestured for her to shut her mouth up and follow him as quietly as she could.

Their legs carried them to where Millisar thought the screams had come from. As they drew closer, the sounds of metal clashing against metal and even more screams filled her ears. Soon enough, they both arrived in a small clearing and what she saw instantly made her blood run cold.

They finally found the village, but they weren't expecting it to be overrun by monsters.

* * *

**Authors Notes:**

Hello again! To be honest, I've already written half of this chapter a long, long time ago and was about to continue writing then BOOM my Summon Night save file got corrupted and I'm too lazy to finish the game again. Anyway, here I am and I'm playing the game again to refresh my memory. The next chapter's almost 70% complete. Hopefully I'd be able to post it next week. And stay tuned for the next chapter because I've added a bit of a surprise for those two... *wink* *wink* I'll give a cookie to anyone who can guess what's gonna happen! =P Then again, I think it's pretty obvious already... or not.

Uhh... Thanks so much to all those who read and reviewed! I wasn't able to keep track of the new readers, but thank you again for all the support! Oh, and please if you guys ever find it in your hearts to write a story about our favorite pairing then do so! They need all the luuurve they can get! Spread the love, people!


	6. Chapter 6

**S****ummary:**  
(MillisarxReiha) Reiha finds herself taking care of an injured but cranky and annoying Summon Beast.

**Disclaimer:** Summon Night is not mine! I just wanna mess around with its characters for a bit.

**Author's Notes:**

Gah... I hope I can finish the next chapters much, much faster... =( There are too many distractions, darn it! Anyway, please do enjoy! XD I really can't thank you enough for all the encouragement! **  
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* * *

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**To Tame a Summon Beast**  
by fascifemina

**Chapter Six  
**

Barracks soaked in oil surrounded the path towards the village, burning vigorously and scaring off the weaker monsters from attempting to invade. Beyond the traps were the bigger monsters and were fighting the villagers who were armed with rakes, torches, and wooden bats. Archers were positioned at the far back and their arrows continued to assault the monsters overhead.

As much as Reiha wanted to pretend that the villagers could fend off for themselves, she couldn't ignore the glaring fact that these people were anything but warriors. Some of the men fighting at the front lines were either too young or too old and were even having trouble swinging their bats or rakes around to actually contribute to the fight. The archers were no better since most of them were young and were now having difficulty aiming their arrows at their supposed targets. Fear was etched into their faces as the monsters continued their onslaught.

Reiha and Millisar were behind the safety of the bushes and both could only watch with bated breaths as the heat of the battle intensified. She could feel herself trembling, but her eyes refused to leave the gruesome scene before her as more and more villagers fell under the mercy of the beasts.

Reiha was too shaken at what was happening that it took her sometime before she could finally find her voice. "Millisar! We have to help those people!" Screams were pounding in her ears and each one made her heart constrict painfully in her chest. She turned to her companion only to be startled at what she saw.

An eerie calmness was spread over his features as he gazed intently at the battle, causing the hair at the back of her neck to rise uncomfortably. However, before Reiha could make out whatever it was that particular expression had meant, the Summon Beast directed her attention at her with his usual scowl. "What?" He asked, as if he hadn't heard a word she just said.

She bit her lip, repeatedly convincing herself that she was just imagining things and that disturbing look he wore was just a result of her growing panic. She shook her head to clear her thoughts. The villagers were more important right now! This was not the time to strangle Millisar and demand what in the world the jerk had been thinking. Grabbing hold of her companion's arm, she stepped out of their hiding place and started to pull him towards the cluster of monsters that surrounded the village.

Before she could take another step, however, Millisar shrugged her off. "Are you out of your mind?" The Summon Beast yelled at her. "If you think we can take on those monsters by ourselves then you really are an idiot!"

"But they need help!" Her overwhelming concern was the only thing that prevented her from being angry at him at a time like this. The villagers could die at any minute! There must be something they could do to help!

Millisar was staring at her with a frown and she must have looked desperate enough that he let out a resigned sigh. "Tch." He then muttered something unintelligible under his breath. She watched him look around, as if analyzing their predicament. "Look, can you even summon one of your strongest spells? I can probably slow them down, but you know as well as I do that we're not fit to fight a hoard of those creatures."

Reiha didn't want to admit it, but Millisar was right. Her current condition prevented her from summoning her whirlwind again. If she forced herself to the limit, she might end up being unconscious for a few days and time was a luxury they didn't have. But could she really abandon these people?

Just when she was about to tell him that she would at least try, some of the beasts turned around and spotted them. "Damn it. That attitude of yours is gonna be the death of us someday, I swear." Millisar snorted before quickly unsheathing his Dao. He held a hand in front of him and Reiha's hair whipped in front of her face as the familiar tug of the Spirits engulfed his palm.

The fury of his Dark Fire Spell rushed toward the creatures, the dark flames consuming them as they screeched in pain. With precise and determined steps, Millisar swung his Dao in a wide arc and black blood spurted across the grass as one of the creatures' head came rolling down the ground. Reiha watched as he did the same with the others that were still trapped in his flames.

She was about to lift her staff to hurl Spirit orbs against the creature that focused its attention on her when her breath was knocked out of her lungs and she was tackled to the ground by a roly. She screamed and kicked like mad when she felt its numerous legs crawl all over her skin. The weight of the insect on top of her felt like she was being squished flat by a large rock. Her hands were clutching its mouth to keep it from biting off her face as thick, disgusting slime dripped from its gaping mouth and onto her neck.

It took a great deal amount of effort to kick the roly off her and she wasted no time to crawl to where she had dropped her staff. The insect was faster than she had anticipated and it latched on her back as if determined to keep her down. She could hear her backpack being torn to shreds as she tried all her might to reach her staff. As soon as she felt the cold handle under her fingertips, she raised her arm and swung the rod as hard as she could against the roly. A loud crack was heard as it connected against its skull.

The insect squealed and dropped to the ground, but its small pincer-like mouth got caught in one of the holes of her bag and ripped her backpack completely. She didn't have time to lament over her favorite bag as her belongings spilled all at once. One particular flask was sent flying and landed just an arm's reach in front of her.

She stared at it for a few seconds, her slightly addled brain taking a few more seconds than normal to recognize what she looking at.

"What are you doing? Get up! You're a sitting duck there!" Millisar's frustrated shouts interrupted her thoughts as his rapid footsteps drew closer to her. She looked up at him just as an idea was forming inside her head. She grabbed hold of the flask and held it up for a confused Millisar to see.

"A... flask?"

Smiling weakly to herself despite the urgent situation happening all around them, Reiha motioned for Millisar to follow her to a safer part of the forest. She knew he was getting annoyed at her strange behavior, but she didn't have time to explain to him everything as she ran the processes over and over in her mind.

Gently, she placed the small flask on the ground between her and Millisar. There was a high chance that this wouldn't work, but she realized she didn't have a choice on the matter. "I don't have time to explain, but long story short this will let us conjure beasts. And I'm going to need your help to make this work."

"What?" Millisar eyed the flask on the ground and scowled. "Why couldn't you do it yourself?"

"I can't! It takes a large amount of Spiritual power to conjure beasts! It needs to be done by at least two people..." He was giving her skeptic looks so she desperately searched her brain for something to convince him to do this with her.

Unfortunately, she found none. She would have to plead.

"Please, Millisar!" She didn't care that she was genuinely pleading with him this time around. The screams were getting louder and the smoke from the fire was getting thicker as it hovered over their heads. Lives were at stake and her irritation at her companion was thrown aside and temporarily buried at the back of her mind. "All you need to do is ask the Spirits to help me summon!"

She could see the mental struggle going on inside his head as he glared daggers at the flask sitting almost innocently on the ground. A few more seconds passed and her patience was already wearing thin. People's lives depended on them, didn't he realize that? Didn't he care about what would happen to these people?

Suddenly, the disturbing expression she had seen on him a while ago flashed before her eyes. She gasped at the sudden realization and she inadvertently stepped back. "Don't tell me..." Her words died in her throat. She didn't need to continue as she saw an unreadable expression that took hold of his features.

He hated humans that much? He was willing to see them... **die**?

Rage coursed and thrummed wildly in her veins and she suddenly had the overwhelming urge to shake some sense into his twisted personality. "Millisar!" Her voice shook and her whole body trembled. "Those villagers are innocent! If you want to direct your hatred towards anyone then pour them all out on me instead!" She stopped, her throat was becoming hoarse. "Please... Don't become like Ghardib."

That did it apparently. He gaped at her words, his red eyes widening. He looked paler than usual as if all the blood had been driven out of his body.

Their eyes met, sealing a silent agreement. Reiha let out the breath she didn't know she was holding as she saw him finally close his eyes to concentrate on summoning the Spirits.

Relief washed over her like a wave. _No! This isn't the time for this! I have to focus!_ She recited the chant of the summoning ritual and she could feel the Spirits surrounding her, forming a blaze of power that encircled the two of them. She focused on conjuring the most powerful creature they had ever faced and asked the Spirits to lend her their aid for a short while. When Millisar's energy mixed with her own, she was surprised at the darkness that filled her heart, distorting and almost breaking her concentration.

This was what she had been dreading from the very start. How could they even attempt to do this when they didn't even consider each other as friends?

Irritated, she opened her eyes and glared at her companion. His eyes were still closed and he was bathed in dark energy, his face devoid of any emotion as if he had been drugged. Even so, she could still feel his distrust through his energy and it was making her so uncomfortable that she was tempted to end the ritual and just forget about the whole thing.

What could she do? There was no way she could convince him to trust her! She needed to let his summoned Spirits to flow through her naturally or else their summoning would be all for nothing!

_Is there really no other way...?_ The Spirits surrounding them were admirably strong, but she wouldn't be able to put them into good use if their energies didn't mingle together to form the creatures. They had to form a connection!

She channeled Ingiell's lectures in her mind, searching for anything that she could use as an alternative for the connection of Spirits. She only needed to create a path for their energies to flow together as one. What could she do? She wasn't Ayn so she wouldn't know the detailed processes of the summoning besides the basic concepts and the chants. How in the world was she going to create a pathway?

Just then, a ridiculous thought formed inside her brain that she had to balk at the idea. Panic seemed to be getting into her head that she was now being haunted by stupid thoughts! Really! What was she thinking?

She stared at her companion, narrowing her eyes at him as millions of thoughts surged through her head at the possibility that the unbelievably stupid idea might just work. She didn't want to think about it anymore, but the rational part of her brain was telling her that it wasn't as stupid as she was making it out to be.

Screams, roars, and cries pounded and rang continuously in Reiha's ears as she watched horrified when the numbers of the villagers fighting against the monsters dwindled rapidly. Morale was decreasing so fast that some of them had no choice but to abandon their posts and run away for their lives.

Reiha wanted to cry. She really did, but she swallowed every ounce of pride left within her chest and approached Millisar. Her legs felt strangely like lead and it was getting harder and harder for her to breathe. Only three steps closer and she would be able to close the distance between the two of them.

She studied him for a moment, noticing that he was still under the spell of the Spirits to be aware of what was happening. She silently thanked the Spirits for that because she really didn't want to see how violent his reaction would be once he realized what she was going to do next.

An ear-splitting scream was what prevented Reiha from chickening out at the last minute. Feeling her cheeks burning to the point that it made her dizzy, Reiha swallowed the lump in her throat.

She leaned forward and pressed her mouth against his.

* * *

Millisar's eyes instantly snapped open at the sudden pressure on his lips. He tried to know what happening, but he couldn't see anything as he was blinded by a surge of light that seemed to surround him continuously in waves. He struggled to get away from the unknown contact, but the pressure still insisted.

The energy around him was so intense he felt as if he was floating in space. What was happening to him? What was he doing? Yet, he couldn't feel the familiar panic forming in his gut. He didn't even feel afraid or the least bit alarmed. There was warmth everywhere and it soothed every fiber of his being that he had no choice but to feel contented.

He assumed that it must have been the work of the Spirits. Since the ritual started, he had sensed a foreign energy attempting to invade his thoughts and it made him uneasy as hell. He had retaliated by instinct, of course, and whatever it was that wanted to open his mind had receded without a fight.

He couldn't explain what happened afterward, though. He had opened his mouth to cry out in frustration, but this action had led a strong energy to send ripples of electricity on every part of his body. He didn't feel any pain at all. In fact, his body had welcomed the unknown warmth for reasons he couldn't quite explain.

It just... exploded, as if he had been engulfed by that sudden warmth without him realizing it.

His body was now relaxed than ever before. In fact, he had never felt this at peace for such a long time and he couldn't help but ask for more of that warmth.

Drunk by the strange lull of the swirl of energies around him and the pleasant feeling, Millisar didn't bother fighting the strange sensations and completely gave in.

* * *

Reiha, on the other hand, was almost at her wits end. Who would have thought that her plan would eventually come to this? She wasn't even sure it would work, but as soon as glyphs began to form on the ground and golems of all shapes and sizes materialized one by one, she was sure she had done the ritual right.

The summoning was indeed working, but there was a huge part of her that was wishing she hadn't thought of the stupid idea in the first place!

When Millisar had opened his mouth, she had broken the contact and had pulled herself off him. But because of that, the connection had waned and the golems had started to disappear before they finished materializing fully. Not wanting to let their efforts go to waste, Reiha had forced herself for another kiss.

It wasn't as difficult at first, but when the seconds ticked by, Millisar had suddenly engulfed her with an almost desperate embrace and was hanging onto her like a lifeline, kissing her so deeply that she swore her head was going to explode!

_Oh Kami... Help me...!_ Reiha cried in a mantra as she felt Millisar probe her mouth that her cheeks heated up so bad she really wanted to cry. She glanced at the golems and wanted nothing more than to scream in frustration when their bodies were still halfway from being formed. What in the world was taking them so **darn** long? She pleaded with the golems to hurry up. Please, hurry up!

She nearly shrieked when Millisar's grip around her waist tightened even more. Why was he even kissing her like this in the first place? His tongue was doing such... **things** in her mouth that she swore she was going to pass out any second now! Her hand was itching to slap him so hard that her palm would be imprinted on his cheek!

Despite her growing embarrassment and the unbridled rage coiling in her gut at the thought that she was being taken advantage of, she forced her thoughts to focus on their situation. Millisar's eyes were still closed and the Spirits surrounding them were so bright it was almost blinding. Her nails were digging so hard into the skin of his shoulders that they would probably leave a bruise. Even so, his calm expression didn't change at all. She made a wild guess that since he was a Summon Beast, it was easier for him to be influenced by the Spirits and she doubted he was even aware of what he was doing. The Spirits were too overwhelming for his mind.

She panicked then. What if after this was all over and he found them in such a compromising position?

She was dead, that much was sure.

Terrified of what may happen afterward, she did the very first thing that came to her mind. She kicked him on a place a man wasn't supposed to be kicked on.

This effectively loosened his hold on her and she took advantage of the situation by backing away from him as far as possible. Millisar was in serious pain as he coiled inwardly on the ground and Reiha felt the raw guilt eating her up inside as she watched him open his eyes, her heart thumping so wildly against her chest that she was afraid she was going to have a heart attack.

"Shit... That hurt." He muttered after a few long and agonizing seconds. He was still wheezing when he glared at her with all his might. "What... happened, you-"

He wasn't able to continue yelling at her when both of them realized what was happening around them. The golems had come to life and as soon as they detected the monsters in the vicinity, they wasted no time at all and headed for battle. Millisar watched them go and despite his pain in the lower regions, couldn't hide how impressed he was.

The massive golems had taken both the monsters and villagers by surprise. Screams and hopeless wails of the villagers reverberated throughout the forest, but as soon as they realized that the golems were attacking the monsters instead of them, they stood frozen in place, not believing their eyes. The other monsters were no match for the creatures they conjured. The golems showed no mercy in their hunt as they lumbered towards their enemies like an unstoppable force. Tension grew thicker as they watched the golems make short work of the beasts, hoping and praying that the fight would finally come to an end.

A few minutes of chaos passed until the forest was blanketed with a chilly silence, the smoke from the fire wrapping like a thick veil all over the village. The stench of death still hung over their heads, but there were no more beasts left. Only the clunking of stones as the golems moved to secure the perimeter of the village resounded in their ears.

They were saved. The villagers were saved.

"I guess your plan worked after all…" Millisar mumbled, feeling a bit better now but was still having a hard time believing that they were able to summon the massive golems. He stared at her then and he narrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "What the heck is wrong with you?"

Reiha let out a breath she didn't know she was holding, the blush creeping on her cheeks before she realized it. It worked, all right. But that would be the last time she'd attempt to conjure beasts with him ever, ever, **ever** again!

Before she could scream at him to leave her alone, her eyes visibly widened as she took notice of the shadow lingering behind Millisar. He noticed her sudden change of expression, but before he could turn around to swing his sword at his unknown attacker, there was a glint of light and he froze.

A large man was pointing a spear at Millisar's head, its sharp end pressing against his nape that a trickle of blood dripped down to one side of his tense shoulders. The man finally spoke, his voice cold and raspy. "Don't move, you filthy summon beast."

* * *

**Authors Notes:**

Gosh... I really can't seem to get enough of these cliffhangers... Hehe! XD Did anyone see the kiss coming? =P It was hardly romantic, but at least they kissed, didn't they? Hahahaha!

Thank you again for taking the time to read this story of mine! I really can't thank you guys enough! See you again next chapter?**  
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